Inside The Manor
by EatSleep
Summary: It has been four long years since Hermione Granger broke Severus Snape's heart. Without a care in the world, she led him on and built him up so that she could knock him down. But, now she's back. Dumbledore offered her a job at Hogwarts, and Severus has to face his ex-wife every day. Walk past the love of his life in the corridors. And act like he no longer loves her.
1. Chapter 1

_An:/ Hello! I hope you enjoy the first chapter, let me know what you think, and whether you would like to see more. The chapters will be short and not so sweet - let me know what you think may be going on here! For each chapter I will recommend a song that I listened to while writing the chapter which really sets the mood for the contents within! Hope you enjoy!_

 ** _Song: LP - Lost On You._**

* * *

 _Chapter One: Heartless Bitch._

There was a time in his life when Severus rejoiced in the silence of his quarters, yearned for it after a long day of teaching useless children. After the war, the silence had been his solitude, the one place he could go to where nobody would bother him, people chose to give him space so he could get some well-deserved rest.

All except one.

Her. Severus couldn't think of her name, let alone stand to hear anyone say it. She'd come waltzing into his quiet sanctuary and spread her happiness and cheer. His chambers soon became full of her as she continuously appeared to see if he was OK.

A friendship blossomed, and he started to crave her noise; he missed it when she didn't stop by. Her gorgeous smile and beautiful eyes would watch him from the fire as he told her everything about his life. When she saw he needed comfort, she placed a hand over the fading mark and reminded him that she thought he was "the strongest and bravest man" she'd ever met.

After a year, she left the school to further her career. However, she didn't stray far and opened up her own bookshop in Hogsmeade. She still visited him frequently and invited him out for drinks at The Three Broomsticks. Until one night, he'd been late to meet her and got to Hogsmeade to find a man attacking her in a nearby alley.

A rage like nothing he'd ever experienced before consumed him. He took pleasure in using his hands to beat the man within an inch of his life. Severus would've killed the sod if she hadn't pulled him back and assured him over and over again that she was alright.

They returned to his rooms only to argue over the events of the evening. She didn't want to press charges, and he wanted to march straight back to the alleyway to kill the man for touching her. Then, their heated argument exploded into a kiss; the first kiss that started everything.

The relationship was never plain sailing, but he fell in love with her a little bit more each day. Their first time being intimate sealed the deal for him, while they made love in front of the fire he knew that he could never live without her. He didn't want to live any longer if she wasn't around.

Nobody could compare to her.

Severus would find himself waking up next to her and wondering how he'd got so lucky. She lay there surrounded by her frizzy hair—he adored running his fingers through it—a tinge to her cheeks, ruby lips parted; he thanked Merlin every day that she was with him.

Another year passed, and he finally mustered up the courage to ask her to be his wife. He had it all planned out: they were to go for a fabulous meal, visit the theatre, then while they were walking home on the winter's night he'd ask her in his own Snape way, to marry him.

However, nothing went to plan. Her friends got in the way, and on the morning he was going to ask her, Potter and his godson announced their engagement. He spent the whole day brooding in his quarters, lashing out at everything she said. Severus didn't want to go to Potter's stupid party, but she told him they were going.

She'd grabbed his cloak to force it on him, and in the process, jolted the dark, velvet box from his pocket. Before he could blink, she had it open in her hands, staring at the emerald stone in awe. Severus managed to compose himself, then dropped down in front of her and asked her to marry him.

Her hesitation made him doubt everything in his life, but she soon tackled him back onto the floor, kissing him senseless, and muttering "yes" repeatedly between kisses.

Merlin. The day she walked down the aisle towards him would forever be engraved into his soul. Her dress stopped at her knees and hugged her curvy body. Flowers weaved into her curly hair which framed her beautiful face. Her grin had been contagious, and for once in his life, he wasn't ashamed to be smiling for so long. She was his. Always.

A whole year of being married didn't affect their drives. Severus still felt more love growing within him even though he knew it was impossible to love someone as much as he loved her. Every day he awoke to her smiling face, and she'd make sure to kiss him passionately before she left for work. They'd go out to dinner every Friday night without fail, and act like they were a new couple who had just started courting.

Every time she laughed, he felt something clench at his heart, and he always strove to make her chuckle at his twisted humour. She would still argue with him when he was acting irrationally, hold him in bed when he needed comfort, make love to him tenderly almost every night. Always. She was forever his.

Until she ran into their quarters on Valentine's Day, waving the divorce papers in the air. He finally saw her for what she was. A heartless bitch. She finally told him what she really thought of him. How she felt nauseous whenever they fucked. She was receiving a hefty sum of money to lead him on.

Apparently, she never thought he would want to marry her.

Nobody was controlling her. He'd scanned her form multiple times, and she wasn't under the authority of the Imperius curse. There was no magic influencing her.

Gone was the loving wife who clung to him at night. Gone were her passionate kisses every morning. Gone was his heart. His body. His soul. Gone.

Leaving him an empty, shattered mess.

Severus spent two years wallowing away at Spinner's end with bottles of firewhiskey. The old house darkened more; it festered along with his feelings. Nothing could pull him away. Nobody could talk sense to him.

After two years, Albus Dumbledore destroyed the wards surrounding his home and marched into his living room. It took three long months to talk Severus into returning to Hogwarts. Her things had been disposed of, leaving a box of her trinkets under his bed He never looked at them. Never.

Severus was proud of himself. It has been one and a half years since he rejoined Hogwarts and Severus was managing to make it through each day without thinking about her. No member of staff mentioned her name. Nobody would dare approach him to say her name.

There was a knock at the door. Severus reluctantly got to his feet and walked out of the kitchen. He waved his hand to open the door, and Minerva stepped in with a smile.

"Are you ready to head to the Great Hall?" She asked, and he nodded his head then followed her out of his quarters.

Today was the first day of a new year. New students. New teachers. Same old heartache.

"Albus hasn't said much about the new Muggle Studies teacher. Don't you think that's odd?" She inquired as they walked down the corridor.

"He's secretive about a lot of things lately," He muttered. "It's nothing new."

"Perhaps you're right."

They stepped into the Great Hall, and Severus walked into someone. He opened his mouth to start deducting points for the first time this year, but his eyes widened as the person turned to look at him.

It was her. Same frizzy hair. Same red lips. Same beautiful fucking face. Her.

"Oh, it's just you," She snickered maliciously, then sauntered off towards the High Table.

It felt like someone was squeezing his black heart, a vice-like grip ripped it to shreds and repeated the process over and over again. His eyes were empty as he stared at where she'd been standing.

Minerva looked at him with wide eyes. "What the hell has Albus done."


	2. Chapter 2

_An:/ Hello! A MASSIVE thank you to the response of the first chapter. I loved reading some of your theories, and your harsh words towards Hermione. However, none of you have guessed correctly as of yet! She will be staying this way for awhile because the main climax of this story is the mystery behind her actions. Shout out to the following people who reviewed the first chapter - plutoplex, Slytherinvillain7, anotheronebitesthedonut, TequilaNervous, BigBangTheory, Yazmin Snape, LillianaSnape212, Zedoc, and the three Guests who reviewed! Enjoy!_

 _Song:_ _The Score - Miracle._

* * *

 _Chapter 2: Long-Term Friend._

Severus stared at the cup of tea being offered to him, then back at the person doing the deed. He couldn't stand to look at him right now, so settled for shifting in his seat while Minerva glared at Dumbledore from the chair next to him.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions," Albus said. "I will answer them all honestly."

His grip tightened on the arms of the chair. Severus felt rage burning ferociously inside of him. He wanted to hex everything in sight, beat somebody, hit them repeatedly, let out all of his anger. How could one woman generate such a reaction from him?

She's the woman who broke his heart. Therefore, she has full control over him.

According to Dumbledore, she was now the new Muggle Studies teacher. Employed because of her expert knowledge, and she had perfect references. It—as he'd started referring to her as—was now a teacher alongside a 'long-term' friend who would be teaching Astronomy.

 _Long-term friend,_ he belched, _I know every single friend she has, and I've never seen that man before._

Could he be her new lover?

The thought made him flinch, and the grip on his heart tightened.

"Why would you do such a thing, Albus?" Minerva squeaked. "Are you forgetting what she did?"

It was an odd sight. The head of Gryffindor house blindly defending a Slytherin over one of her own. She's no longer Minerva's golden girl.

"I'm afraid there's not a lot I can do," He said. "Her contract is for two years."

"How could you even consider hiring her?" Minerva was bouncing in her chair, fierceness on her face.

"She was the only person who applied for the position. I couldn't start a new year without anyone to teach the class, Minerva," Albus looked at Severus. "I hope you understand."

"I've heard quite enough," Severus hissed and got to his feet.

"My boy-"

"Enough!" He snapped as his eyes narrowed into slits. "You've done quite enough."

Severus left the Headmaster's office in a flurry of robes, stopping short near the Great Hall when he saw her clinging to the arm of her 'long-term' friend. He hid in the shadows and let himself frown.

"You look positively radiant, Hermione," The man leered down at her in a twisted manner causing Severus to go rigid.

"Why thank you," She giggled sheepishly, spinning around in her golden robes. She looked beautiful. "This outfit cost our dear friend a fortune."

"He'd give you the world if he could," The fat man brushed a hand over her rosy cheek.

"I might ask him for it and see what he comes up with," She snickered, then linked arms with the stout man. "Will you walk me to my chambers?"

"Of course my lady," The two strolled away from him, but the beast of a man turned to look over his shoulder. He spotted Severus immediately, then threw his head back in laughter; he whispered something in her ear, and they both walked around the corner cackling.

Severus' eyes settled on the floor; his knuckles were white from his tight fists. He inhaled sharply, then released a staggered breath.

One. Two. Three. Severus stretched out his fingers to release the tension from his body and returned to his desolate quarters.

…

The rest of the day passed slowly. He snapped at all of the students, scowled at anything that moved, and twitched whenever he thought of her. Severus still couldn't believe that she was back at Hogwarts polluting the halls with her high-pitched laugh and evil eyes.

The snarky woman had kept her wedding ring - "a token to remind me of my greatest achievement"- were her exact words. Heartless bitch.

He could think negatively about her as much as he liked, but he still loved her. She had the ability to make his heart race with a simple look and break it all over again by opening her mouth to talk. He wanted to leave Hogwarts.

Severus couldn't comprehend how someone could be that good of an actress. He remembered the first time she showed an interest in him:

 _Severus grumbled in annoyance at the sound of somebody knocking the door to his quarters. He just wanted some time alone—was it too much to ask for?_

 _It took him a few long strides to reach the door, and he flung it open, frightening the newly appointed Head Girl._

 _The school had long been repaired leaving only a week until the students returned, however, the Head Boy and Head Girl were asked to start earlier to help with the last minute things. Although, the Gryffindor golden girl had been staying at Hogwarts since the war, assisting to restore it to what it had once been._

 _Hermione Granger's face broke out into a huge, loving smile and she held on tighter to the box in her arms._

 _"Evening sir," She chirped. "How are you today?"_

 _He blinked once then pinned her with a look. Why was she asking him how he was? Does she want something? They always want something._

 _"I managed to intercept most of the letters that people have sent your way. Most of them want to interview you, or well...there are a few females interested in you. However, I assumed you'd want some peace for a while. Here, you can burn them or read them, sir."_

 _Females? What is she talking about?_

 _He slowly took the box which she offered, and furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at her beaming face._

 _"I'll get out of your hair now," She waved at him. "Bye, sir. Have a pleasant evening."_

 _Severus watched her go with a blank look on his face. What a strange girl._

 _The next day he spent most of his time preparing the potions that Madam Pomfrey needed. He was working at one of the desks in the classroom, engrossed in the task at hand._

 _He heard the door open but didn't bother to regard the person with his eyes. "What?" He snapped._

 _"Evening sir," Her heavenly voice coated the clammy room, and he looked her way through his greasy strands of hair._

 _Hermione stepped up to the desk and looked down at the potion he was brewing._

 _"Can I help you?" He asked, deeply annoyed that she was intruding on his brewing time._

 _"Madam Pomfrey told me to fetch the potions from you," She said. "How are you today?"_

 _Severus straightened his back, so he was towering over her. "Why the interest in my well being, Miss Granger?" He retorted roughly._

" _I was only being polite Professor Snape. You act as if I'm the only person to ask how you are," She grabbed the small box which contained the phials for the hospital wing, then smiled at him once more._

" _People only ask me how I am when they want something," He replied bluntly, and his answer took her by surprise._

" _Well," She sighed, and he waited to hear what she wanted from him. "I guess this makes me the first person to genuinely care about your well being, sir."_

 _What the hell is she blabbering on about? Care? "Don't flatter yourself, Miss Granger. Take the potions and go!" He snarled at her, and he hid his surprise when she smiled back at him._

" _I'll see you tomorrow sir. Be prepared, I will ask how you are feeling, and I expect a response," With that, she practically bounced out of the damp classroom leaving him confused about what had just happened._

Severus made his way to the Great Hall for dinner, surprised to see there was an empty seat next to him. Dinner became more daunting when he saw the person sat on the other side of the empty chair was the sweaty man who he'd seen her with earlier.

 _I hope she's not thinking about sitting next to me—_ The woman in question appeared out of nowhere to take the vacant seat, she looked him up and down, then turned to giggle to her 'long-term friend'.

Was he not allowed any peace? Hogwarts was meant to be the only place he could avoid the whole thought of her, but now here she was, sitting next to him at the High Table. A few knowing heads turned to acknowledge the awkward circumstances, and Severus even heard Minerva scolding Albus for his actions.

He didn't care about the looks or the whispers. Severus only cared about making the grip on his heart disappear. It was hard to breathe, and no matter how much wine he forced down his throat, it wouldn't ease. Did the world hate him so much that he was to be plagued by his only weakness for all eternity?

Severus made quick work of his food not wanting to stick around where he wasn't wanted, but her wicked voice filled his ears.

"Why do I have to sit next to the greasy bat?" She snickered to her friend. "Next time we're flipping a coin."

Severus' back straightened. _Merlin, she's cruel._


	3. Chapter 3

_AN:/ Hi! I'm loving your theory suggestions and I can say that some of you have guessed correctly, but none of you are yet to guess the circumstances behind her attitude change. However, you may be able to start guessing after you read the hints I drop in this chapter :D I am aware that some of you are already eager to know what is going on, but you'll just have to wait a couple of chapters._

 _Anyway, a HUGE thanks to LillianaSnape212, Moonlit Glitter, notyetanotheralias, iknowyou2, Celeste Skye Johnson-Malfoy, BigBangTheory, SevLover, dmeb, TequilaNervous, ndavis77, and Guests for reviewing. Enjoy!_

 _Song: Ryder - Ruins._

* * *

 _Chapter 3: Reminder._

The next day Severus awoke to a letter from his Godson; his hand twitched to throw it in the fire, but he angrily broke the seal.

It was what he suspected. Draco wanted to invite him to dinner at Grimmauld Place on Friday evening. Severus hadn't kept in contact with Draco since the abrupt uncoupling from his dearest ex-wife—he did feel bad for not keeping in touch.

Lucius has been under house arrest ever since the war ended, and Narcissa was pardoned for most of her wrongdoings and is living her life elsewhere. Neither of Draco's parents cared about him; Lucius has expressed his hatred towards his son's marriage to Potter, and Narcissa sends her regards but doesn't wish to return to England.

Severus knew that the Ministry were lenient with Lucius' house arrest; he was allowed frequent visitors. However, he couldn't place a foot outside of his house without the unbreakable band around his wrist sending a message to the Auror department. It was his only way of avoiding Azkaban.

Severus wished the man would rot in hell after the things he said to his lover. Around the time Potter and Draco announced their engagement, Lucius managed to send a letter to her while she was in the bookshop:

 _The emerald ring on Hermione's finger glistened in the firelight as she wriggled on the sofa for the fourth time. Severus removed his glasses and placed them next to the book he was reading at his desk._

 _It had been four days since Severus asked her to marry him. Four days since Potter almost stole the excitement away from his perfectly planned proposal. The dunderhead attempted to hug him when Hermione announced the news—thankfully she'd been around to stop him hexing Potter into next week._

 _He observed her closely; after long years of companionship, he recognised the signs of something troubling her._

 _"Hermione," He said, but she didn't look up from her book. "Hermione," Severus tried again, but she chewed on her bottom lip. "Hermione!" He snapped, causing her to jump and throw the book she was reading onto the floor._

 _"You scared me!" She exclaimed turning to look at him with a hand on her heart. "What is it?"_

 _"Tell me what's wrong," Severus watched her carefully. He could tell when she was lying because she refused to look him in the eyes—she was doing such a thing right now._

 _"Nothing. It has been a long day," She retrieved her fallen book, and he watched her slip a piece of paper back into the pages. It must've fallen out when she dropped it._

 _"What is that?" He asked, then got to his feet._

 _"A bookmark—Hey!" Severus snatched the book from her hands and pulled out the piece of paper. His lips curled as soon as he saw the familiar scrawl of Lucius Malfoy._

 _ **It has come to my attention that you're the person behind Draco's new life choices. I suppose a filthy Mudblood will always push her opinions on others, but those ideas should stay away from Purebloods. Especially my son!**_

 _ **Tell me, you idiotic whore, how am I supposed to have grandchildren now? Who is there to carry on the Malfoy name? My son would never have involved himself with that four-eyed imbecile if you hadn't offered him a place to stay. My son would still be inside Malfoy Manor, finding a wife, and making his family proud.**_

 _ **I will come for you one way or another.**_

 _The letter burst into flames and faded to ash in Severus' palm. He walked over to Hermione and crouched down before her. He could see the panic in her eyes, the silent worry that Lucius might hurt her. That will never happen._

 _"He's under house arrest Hermione," He reached out and wiped away some of her tears. "I won't let him hurt you."_

 _She nodded. "I'm just being silly," She sniffed, then leaned down to press her forehead against his. "It just put me on edge, that's all."_

 _Severus cupped her cheeks and pressed a loving kiss to her lips. "I love you."_

 _"I love you too, Severus."_

Dinner with Potter and Draco was a recipe for disaster. He knew that she hadn't kept in contact with them since the divorce, and he found it odd that she'd cut her real long-term friends out of her life. Everything about that woman was peculiar, but it didn't fade the fact that she was a narcissist.

He sighed and dumped the letter on his desk. It was something to consider at a later date, but he knew he couldn't ignore his Godson for long. Heck, he even has a child with Potter. He heard through Minerva that the pair adopted a newborn baby from an orphanage—a magical one—and named him James Potter. _How delightful,_ he thought sarcastically _, he should be three years old by now._

Children that age made him feel uneasy. They hadn't discussed the topic of having children when they were married, but he hadn't opposed to the idea if it was with her. He dreamt of having a child that resembled her beautiful self, however now he realised that their child would be equivalent to the spawn of Satan.

Why would he want a child that could one day turn into her? Or himself? The only good thing that came out of their marriage was the absence of a child. Severus knew it would destroy him if his child didn't have a good upbringing. He wanted his child to have a caring mother, not a sadistic one.

Severus shook the thoughts from his head and prepared himself for what the day could throw at him.

...

A week passed, and he'd managed to avoid her. He spent mealtimes in his quarters and only ventured from the classroom to deliver potions to Madam Pomfrey. He was surprised she hadn't looked for him so she could throw a hateful comment in his face.

Minerva visited him often to vent her frustration about Albus' wrongdoings. She always made sure to throw in a snide comment about the golden girl and how she lacked self-respect. Severus missed a show at dinner when her friend—Rufus Hunderford—kissed her openly on the mouth in front of everyone.

Severus knew he wasn't handsome; no matter how many times she had told him he was. However, Hunderford was a disgusting weasel unworthy of her time.

 _I guess he is her new lover_. Severus' grip tightened around the quill in his hand.

The pain around his heart never ceased, and all his attempts to avoid thinking of her never worked. He could look over at the fire and relive the many times they made love on the rug before it. He would go into the kitchen and remember the time she threw him a surprise birthday party by herself because he didn't want to spend the day with anyone else.

The bedroom was an area to stay away from when she took full control of his thoughts. Being in there would bring forth the memories of her beautiful body draped over his bed. One time she surprised him with some Slytherin green lingerie for their second Valentine's Day together—what a good night that had been.

He knew her love had been too good to be true, but he'd latched onto her the moment she uttered those three heartwarming words. It was a stupid thing to do, but now he's stuck with this pain forever _._ The idea of moving on made him nauseous. He only wanted her; it made him feel pathetic.

Severus looked down at the essay he was marking and sighed angrily. Do those idiots ever listen to what he teaches them?It infuriated him.

Suddenly, a head appeared in the flames of his fireplace.

"Would you answer my letters for once!?" Draco yelled through the fire, and Severus reluctantly let him in.

Fatherhood hadn't beaten him. Draco still looked snobby, but there was a free aura surrounding him; it was like he'd travelled the world and returned to tell everyone how wonderful it was to experience cultural differences. He had the menacing scolding look spot on, and it almost made Severus uneasy—almost. However, his whole facade was ruined by the numerous specks of glitter coating his clothes and parts of his face.

"Nice of you to finally acknowledge my existence," He snarled.

"I can't take you seriously when you look like that," Severus replied nonchalantly, and Draco frantically brushed at his clothing.

"James has decided to go through a glitter phase—he's my son by the way, did you know that?"

"You've every right to be angry at me Draco," He said, leaning back in his chair. "Sit down."

Draco turned his nose up at him as he sat down in front of the desk.

"I know you have a son. How is he?" Severus hated small talk, but he knew it was necessary for this situation.

"He's very well. Harry wants to adopt another baby soon," He explained. "I'm a family man now."

"It suits you," Severus shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I apologise for ignoring your letters."

Draco frowned. "I know things were tough when Her—"

" _Don't."_ A lump formed in the back of his throat. He didn't want to hear her name from his lips. He didn't want to hear it at all.

"But I want to talk to you about it!" Draco snapped. "Severus-"

"You can leave if that's all you wish to talk about. I have nothing else to say to you if that's the case," Severus dismissed him with a wave of his hand, and Draco stormed off home.

Good riddance.

Silence fell for awhile, and he stared blankly at the wall. His heart began to ache some more and closed off emotions started to break free.

Suddenly, Severus lashed out in frustration, swiping the work from his desk. He slammed his hands against the dark wood and took a couple of deep breaths. _I hate her so much._


	4. Chapter 4

_AN:/ Hello! I hope you're all having a great day! I'd like to thank everyone for their kind words, and thank those who offered me some help with my writing! This chapter reveals a bit more so I hope you enjoy! Many thanks to the following reviewers, Thorn, Slytherinvillain7, Zedoc, SevLover, notyetanotheralias, Severussnape1984, Moonlit Glitter, TequilaNervous, Always an Edward fan, ndavis77, and Guests. I hope you enjoy the plot thickening :D_

 _Song: Scott Helman - Cry Cry Cry._

* * *

 _Chapter 4: Glitter._

"There's no use in talking to him," Draco sighed as he sat down on the sofa in the living room. Harry was kneeling on the floor helping James with his colourful jigsaw puzzle while Ron sat in the window reading over some papers.

"There is use in talking to him Draco," Harry said. "He might've picked up on some odd things before she divorced him."

"We've been searching for four years, and there's no sign of anything magical controlling her," Draco explained running a hand through his long hair. "Maybe she's always been this way-"

"'Mione would never be so heartless," Ron didn't look away from the parchment in his hand. "Are you forgetting that dark magic could be involved?"

"We've scanned her form multiple times—"

"And I'm sure a mighty wizard or witch could find a way to hide the magic from detection," Harry pushed his glasses up his nose. "All we have to go off at the moment is that the last person she was seen with before she asked Snape for a divorce, was a shifty looking man. Hermione is fiercely protective, maybe he threatened to hurt Snape, and she's doing it to protect him."

"We can throw around theories as much as we like, but we're no closer to the truth than we were four years ago," Ron disposed of the parchment and replaced it with another. "One thing we can be certain of is that it does have to do with Snape. Either Hermione is a good actress and fooled us throughout our childhood, or somebody wishes to hurt Professor Snape. I'd bet galleons on the latter."

"Daddy look!" James bounced on his knees. "I did it!" He banged his hands against the nine-piece jigsaw and grinned up at his father.

"Well done," Harry ruffled his dark blond hair and helped him to start the jigsaw all over again. "She would've been the best aunt..." Harry trailed off with a sad look on his face.

Draco joined them on the floor and placed a comforting hand on Harry's arm, then kissed his cheek.

"Kisses! I want kisses!" James flung himself at his parents. They embraced him with warm arms and kissed his head. The young boy climbed onto Draco, so they were nose to nose. "Can I have my glitter back now dad?"

They all laughed at the boy's sneaky attitude, but Draco refused to give him back the glitter.

"I have an idea," Draco's face suddenly lit up.

"What?" Ron asked still not looking away from the paperwork surrounding him.

"Why have I never thought to send you to see him, Harry," Draco turned to look at him. "Go to Hogwarts, pretend you're visiting Dumbledore and find a way to get into his quarters to talk to him. You have to take James with you—children make him uneasy."

"I'm not going to take James with me," Harry replied.

"Yes you are daddy," James chirped in excitement. "I wanna' see the castle!"

"Severus won't shout if there's a young child around," Draco patted James' head. "Trust me it's the only way to get through to him—"

"Got it! I actually found it!" Ron shot to his feet clutching a piece of parchment.

"What's going on?" Harry and Draco got up off the floor and joined Ron at the window.

"The Auror Department only kept a brief record of the visitors going inside Malfoy Manor. I have no idea why they stopped so suddenly, but take a look at this. The last entry was of two people entering; they are described as a bushy haired woman and a stout man. Ring any bells?" He raised a quizzical brow.

"Hermione and...?"

"The man last seen going into the bookshop," Draco added. "How did you manage to get ahold of these?"

"It's taken me four long years to persuade my boss to let me delve into previous records. It appears that your father must've put a stop to the Auror's watching over the manor—isn't it suspicious that there haven't been any entries since Hermione went in."

...

Severus took a seat in the staffroom and watched his colleagues move about in the lunchtime rush. There was an emergency meeting being held before lessons resumed—it meant he couldn't avoid her.

She was standing in the kitchen area sipping from a teacup. He noticed a few tremors rocking her hands, but she didn't portray any emotion on her face.

People thought he was heartless, but all they had to do was look at his precious ex-wife and see that he was far from it.

Severus watched her closely. He saw the moment something triggered inside her mind which caused her left eye to twitch, and she gripped onto the counter for support. Nobody else noticed her sudden pain. However, he wasn't about to aid her even though it hurt him to see her like that.

Her lips parted, and she took in a deep breath, then stood up straight and let herself return to normal. _How odd._ Severus picked back up the article he was reading, only looking up again when she moved to sit with Professor Hunderford.

"Good afternoon, Severus," Minerva took the seat opposite him with a smile.

"Afternoon," He grumbled. "Why has Albus called a—"

Her shrill laughter cut him off, and the newspaper scrunched up under his tight fists. Severus savoured her a glance only to regret ever looking. Hunderford had his arm draped over her shoulders, and he moved to kiss her cheek.

Merlin, he felt angry. So angry. His jaw tightened, and his teeth protested when he grit them hard. However, her left eye twitched again.

"How dare she do that in front of you?" Minerva whispered harshly. "Does she not care about your feelings?"

"That's the whole point, she doesn't care," He hissed, and looked away from the pair.

Minerva poured some tea from the pot and levitated the milk to pour into her cup. Severus felt her eyes on him but didn't acknowledge her because he knew she was going to want to talk more. _I'm done talking about it._

With Minerva sat opposite him it brought forward a happy memory he wished to forget:

 _Severus stiffened when the food coated his taste buds. She'd been right when she said she couldn't cook. He watched Hermione poke her tongue out to lick the food on her fork—she immediately squirmed away in disgust._

 _"I'm sorry," She dropped the fork on her plate. "I followed the recipe word by word...how did I mess up?" She scratched her head and moved to retrieve the recipe book._

 _It had been four months since the Head Girl first asked him how he was, and somehow, her caring words had blossomed into a friendship._

 _Hermione frequently visited his quarters to tell him about her busy days and how she didn't feel prepared for her exams. He even had to listen to her blabber on about Potter becoming secretive about things._

 _She'd offered to make him dinner; it was an unexpected development to him, but he'd said yes when she looked at him innocently. He was starting to notice that she could get him to do a lot of things with a simple look._

 _It was weird to him that she spent so much time in his presence. He often thought that she wasn't here out of choice—maybe it was a joke to her?_

 _Severus looked at her bewildered face, then scolded himself mentally. Hermione wasn't capable of such cruelness, and she genuinely seemed happy whenever she visited him. He didn't have much to offer when it came to conversation, but when he did, she listened intently._

 _However, the war was an untouchable subject. It became apparent they both had trouble discussing it._

" _I'm sorry that I ruined dinner," She sighed and slammed the book shut. "I don't know why I thought my cooking skills had improved," Hermione levitated the plates from the table and refused to make eye contact with him._

 _Was this the part when he should offer her kind words? Severus shifted in his chair. "You are an abysmal cook," He said, and her eyes flew to his. "However, you make up for it in all your academic subjects. If being able to cook is something you wish to do then I will teach you."_

" _OK," Hermione bounced on the tips of her toes in excitement. "You'll truly teach me?"_

 _Severus allowed his eyes to wander over her rosy cheeks and contagious smile, then nodded his head._

" _Thank you," She ran around the table and quickly pressed her soft lips to his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, sir."_

 _His body went rigid. Had she just? Severus shook his head. It must've been an accident, why else would she kiss his cheek. Merlin, it was only a quick kiss. Yet, she'd managed to ignite a feeling he'd long forgotten._

Severus pulled himself away from the memory and noticed that Albus had entered the room and started the meeting. It didn't take him long to finish—something about a suspicious man seen lurking around the border of Hogwarts.

He made the journey down to the dungeons only to be chased by her cackle as it echoed down the halls. She'd given up stalking him with her friend, and he was left to return to his quiet sanctuary.

Or so he'd thought.

Severus sensed something was amiss when he opened the classroom door and saw a young child giggling on the floor. "What the fu—"

"Don't swear in front of him!" Potter's angry voice cut him off.

"Did Draco send you?" He grumbled in annoyance.

"Yes," He replied. "This is James by the way."

What was he supposed to do? Shake hands with the child?!

"That's lovely Potter," He drawled. "What do you want?"

"We need to talk about Hermi-"

"I told Draco I have nothing to say concerning that subject," Severus marched past Potter and took a seat at his desk.

"You used to be a spy. How can you not see that something is wrong with her?" Severus felt the urge to crack his knuckles.

"I was a spy," He said flatly. "From that, I learnt that some people are cruel for the sake of being cruel," He forced down the harsh words he wanted to throw at Potter, and let his long hair fall in front of his face.

"Daddy," James waddled over and wrapped his arms around Potter's leg. "Can you buy me glitter?"

"I'll buy you some later on, but you have to promise not to tell your dad," Potter patted his head, then frowned at Severus. "The person your wife is now isn't who she truly is. I think that you believe you're unlovable, so when she broke your heart, you refused to look at what was standing right before you."

Severus could tell that Potter was hiding something from him, and it angered him more.

"Did Lucius contact her again after the first letter he sent?"

He didn't respond, just stared blankly at the mess on his desk.

"Did he?" Potter pushed.

Severus still refused to answer.

Merlin, for the first time in his life he had to admit that Potter may be right. Was he ignoring the truth because he believed himself to be unlovable? Good things didn't last long for him, so when she'd delivered the divorce papers, it had been a taste of reality. He'd known it was coming his way.

Had Lucius contacted her after the first letter? He might have, but she'd never mentioned it to him.

"Do you have any glitter?" James ran up to his desk and placed his tiny hands on the edge. "Whoa...daddy he scary-"

"That's quite enough!" Potter blurted out in panic and picked up his son. "Have dinner with us tomorrow night. There are things we need to tell you…" He waited for a response, but Severus continued to stare daggers at his desk. "Bye, sir."

Potter left the classroom, and when the door shut behind him, Severus sighed and buried his face in his hands.


	5. Chapter 5

_AN:/ Hello! Many many thanks as usual to those who favourited and followed! I hope you enjoy this chapter and more of the web that is being weaved ;) There's a big hint in this chapter - I wonder if any of you will catch it?_

 _BIG thank you to the following reviewers,_ _Slytherinvillain7, SevLover, Zedoc, LillianaSnape212, TwilightLover1910 , TequilaNervous, MsSlytherin98, and ndavis77. I hope you read on with joy :D_

 _Song: Lewis Capaldi - Bruises (For them feels)_

* * *

 _Chapter 5: An Easy Man To Hate._

Severus hadn't slept well last night. His mind was plagued by one thought, "What if something bad had happened to her on that heartbreaking Valentine's Day?" It had caused him to toss and turn in his bed until he gave up with an annoyed sigh.

Had he been choosing to ignore what was right in front of him? There was a lot he was starting to notice. Yesterday her left eye kept twitching before she'd return to being a bitch.

He didn't want to look inside her mind because he'd promised never to do so; also, he didn't wish to see something that would upset him. It was clear that Rufus Hunderford was her lover.

Severus was yet to decide whether to go to the Potter residence for dinner. Maybe he should listen to what someone had to say for once. It was difficult for him to hear people talk about a woman that he once thought he knew everything about.

Thoughts of her followed him to the Great Hall for breakfast; he'd decided that he needed to stop avoiding her. She's here for two years—cruel as she may be—he couldn't spend his life hiding.

Severus' robes billowed behind him, and his menacing eyes caused pupils to run in the opposite direction. The moment he stepped into the Great Hall he saw her sat next to his empty chair.

Hunderford leant close to her and whispered words into her ear that made a twisted smile grow on her face. She looked over at him as he approached then sniggered when he sat down.

"Anyone would think you've been avoiding me?" She placed her elbow on the arm of the chair and propped up her chin.

"That's because I have," He drawled and glanced down the High Table to see Minerva watching them.

"I thought we could reminisce about old times. Those memories were rather funny—me faking orgasms, and having to open my eyes every morning to your face."

Merlin, his heart hurt. Severus looked at her with empty eyes.

"I can assure you her pleasures are well taken care of now," Hunderford placed his hand on her thigh, and he watched her left eye twitch again. She inhaled sharply, composed herself, then laughed sadistically.

He was definitely going to dinner tonight.

"Tell me, Snape," She popped the 'p'. "Are your needs getting taken care of?"

He pinned her with a look, unwilling to give her the satisfaction of an answer.

"Maybe you should visit Knockturn Alley; I'm sure you'll find a woman there. They may ask for more money than usual or ask to cover your face, but either way at least you'll get some," She beamed over at him like she was a dog awaiting praise from its owner. "That's if you can afford them. I tried to sell the ring you gave me, but apparently, it isn't worth anything. You're a pitiful man—I'm the love of your life, and you gave me an emerald ring? Where's my diamond one?"

Severus inhaled sharply as he remembered the night he proposed to her:

 _"Severus I apologise, but we have to go," Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "We can leave early and still make our dinner reservation."_

 _He glared at her from his desk._

 _"Stop acting like a child," She stomped her foot as if she was one, and Severus continued to scowl._

 _Potter had ruined his perfectly planned day. Today was meant to be the day he asked Hermione to marry him. He didn't know whether he was going to get down on one knee, or drop it into a conversation somehow—it didn't matter now—she insisted they went to Potters engagement party._

 _"I'm not going to such a ridiculous event-"_

 _"You will do it," She mirrored his eyes, and tilted her head to the side. "Draco is your Godson, and you know that Lucius won't be there nor Narcissa. You're going."_

 _"You don't get to tell me what to do," He growled, tapping his fingers against his wooden desk._

 _Severus had spent most of the day lashing out at her; he was meant to be showering her with gifts and love on such an important day._

 _"Have I done something wrong, Severus? You've been angry all day," She approached his desk and looked down at him warily._

 _He pinned her with a look, then sighed. "I'm not going."_

 _"I will force your bloody cloak on you if I have to," Hermione marched over to the hook his dark cloak hung from, and his eyes widened as he remembered the ring was still in the pocket. "Come here right now and put this on-"_

 _The black box tumbled to the floor, and her face became tight. "What is this?" She asked as she crouched down to pick it up._

 _"It's nothing," He shot up from his chair and raced over to where she was on the floor._

 _"It's obviously not nothing Severus-" She opened up the velvet box and gasped._

 _Silence. He didn't say a single word, and neither did she._

 _Hermione's hand began to tremble, and her eyes lit up at the sight of the emerald ring cushioned within the box. He'd stumbled across the ring accidentally, and he'd known instantly that it was the one, but now here he was opening and closing his mouth like a damned fish not knowing what to say._

 _He saw her swallow hard and he quickly shook his nerves away, then lowered himself down onto the cold floor. Her eyes sparkled when she looked at him, and he slowly took the box from her hand only to notice his own was trembling. He took out the ring and stared at her with an anxious face._

" _Marry me," He said huskily, and he bit back the urge to add 'please' to the end of it. He'd bloody beg her if he had to._

 _More silence followed, and a sickening feeling settled in his stomach. Oh, dear Circe had he read the signs wrong—did she not want this? Him? Embarrassment flooded his cheeks and turned them red. His heart pounded in his chest while his body shook._

 _Holy fuck-_

 _Hermione slammed into his chest and caused him to tumble backwards. She wrapped her arms and legs around his slender frame then proceeded to kiss every inch of his face. "Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes…" She trailed off and giggled happily to herself._

 _A warmth spread throughout his chest, and a small smile grew on his face. "Get off me woman so I can put the ring on your finger."_

" _Sorry!" She squeaked and moved to let him sit up, then perched herself on his lap with a radiant look on her face. He took hold of her shaking hand and slipped the beautiful ring on her finger. A tear landed on their joined hands, and he glanced into her wet eyes._

" _Don't bloody cry Hermione," He began to wipe away her tears._

" _I can't help it," She sobbed. "I'm so happy."_

" _Then smile," He quirked a brow at her and she laughed._

" _I love you," She whispered and reached up to touch his face. "I really do," Hermione pressed a soft kiss to his lips and smiled at him wickedly. "I suppose we can be a little late to Harry's party."_

Severus gave her a longing look that neared desperation. He knew that he was easy to hate so it didn't seem plausible that magic could be controlling her. It must be very dark magic if it's to be true.

However, he never thought she could be a woman to hate him so much. She always seemed to want to talk through her problems, lay everything out on the table and analyse it in detail. That woman either never existed or was being oppressed somehow.

No, she definitely isn't under anyone's control. She couldn't be. He would've noticed straight away.

Severus glanced at the plate she was eating from, looked away, then zoned back in on it. She'd left behind her pieces of bacon—not an odd thing to a person who didn't know her—but Severus knew it was one of her favourite foods. A week before their divorce she'd asked him to make her plates full for one of their dinners; she'd gobbled it all down within seconds then asked for more.

There was a lot he needed to find out at dinner tonight.

...

Severus arrived at Grimmauld Place just after five o'clock. He stepped out of the fireplace and was surprised to see young James giggling hysterically on a glitter covered rug. Draco sat nearby with a fresh coat of silver glitter all over his work clothes.

"Evening Severus," Harry walked into the living room with a smile on his face. "I'm glad you came-"

"Save the formalities Potter. I'm only here to listen to what you have to say—if it isn't interesting enough I will be leaving shortly."

"Scary man!" James shrieked and dived towards the sofa. Severus curled his lip at the impudent child and wished to be anywhere but here.

"James, Mr Snape is as friendly as they come," Draco said sarcastically and vanished the glitter from his clothes. "Is dinner ready?"

"Yes," Harry collected James from the sofa, and they all made their way into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Severus' scowl deepened at the sight of all the food.

"Expecting other people, Potter?"

"Ron is supposed to be coming. He has a hefty appetite after work," He explained and tried to settle James into his seat, but he continued to squirm about and laughed maniacally.

"Daddy I don't wanna eat," He pushed his plate away and pouted. "Nuncle Ron said he'd play wid me."

"I'm sure he'll play with you when he arrives," Draco said. "Now be a good boy and eat your food."

"Hmph," Merlin the child was stubborn. Severus frowned some more and reluctantly put food on his plate.

"Can we get this over with," Severus sighed.

"How is she?" Potter asked. "I haven't seen her, and I don't know if she receives my letters."

"She's still a bitch-" Draco had the audacity to hit his arm while Potter yelped and reached for James' ears. Severus fought down his anger towards the situation and mustered up an apology. "Sorry."

"Have you noticed anything odd about her?" Draco looked at him eagerly with his mouth full of food.

"Why don't you just tell me what you know?" He retorted.

Potter sighed, then helped James get some food onto his spoon properly. "We believe that Lucius has done something to her."

Severus' jaw tightened.

"The Auror Department was keeping a record of who was going in and out of the manor. However, the entries were stopped right after a woman with frizzy hair went inside—Hermione."

Severus didn't respond.

"We know it was definitely Hermione because we found out that the last person seen going into the shop was a greasy looking man who fits the description of the other person recorded to have gone inside the manor with her. Hermione had closed the bookshop that Valentine's Day; there was no reason for anyone else to be in there with her. So, all we know now is that something happened in the shop and the only person who can tell us what happened is the mysterious man."

"Hunderford," Severus' fingers protested in his tightly clenched fists, and he wished to hit something. He couldn't quite believe it, and he mentally kicked himself for not noticing anything sooner. It was almost enough to bring tears of frustration to his eyes.

He'd spent two years in a pit of depression unable to reason with the logical side of his brain. Every thought of her was negative, and he'd wished to hurt her—Merlin, one time he'd wanted to kill her with his own hands.

Severus didn't know Hunderford; it was going to make it easier for him to beat the crap out of the greasy slob. He got to his feet suddenly and startled James.

"I'm leaving," He turned on his heel to go back to Hogwarts, but Potter called out to him.

"Don't do anything stupid-" An owl began to peck at the closed window, and James squealed in excitement. Potter walked over to retrieve the scroll attached to it. Severus watched in annoyance as his face broke out into worry.

"What's wrong?" Draco stepped up behind Potter and looked down at the letter.

"It says Ron's gone missing."


	6. Chapter 6

_AN:/ Hello! Here is a super quick one for you! One of you asked about having Hermione's POV and we won't be getting that until Chapter 11 if everything goes according to plan! I have written it already so hold on till then for me! None of you said anything about the hint I dropped in the last chapter - maybe I was too subtle with it :D It's dropped again, so I wonder if you'll catch onto it!_

 _Thank you to everyone who favourited and followed, and a HUGE thank you to the following reviewers, Zedoc, Slytherinvillain7, use2b2t2, SevLover, Water213, Celeste Skye Johnson-Malfoy, and ndavis77. I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

 _Song: Michael Schulte - Falling Apart._

* * *

 _Chapter 6: She Is Who She Is._

Severus saw the back of Hunderford's robes as he headed toward the Forbidden Forest—he was going to enjoy this. His wand was awaiting use in the sleeve of his cloak, and he felt a wicked warmth course through his veins.

He stalked from a distance away but never lost sight of him. Potter had asked him to stay and help find Weasley. However, Severus felt like this was more important than looking for Weasley. Of course, this was more important.

If Potter was right and Hunderford had been the last person seen with her on Valentine's Day, it meant that something was controlling her, right? There was still a seed of doubt planted in his mind—she had been too good for him.

He shook the notion from his head and kept himself hidden in the shadows. It was then that he realised that Hunderford was catching up to someone else—Her. He found a big enough tree to hide behind and watched her stand in a small clearing as Hunderford approached her.

"What do you think you're doing, dearie?" He asked, and she turned around to look at him fiercely; she looked like a lioness about to protect her cubs.

"I'm going to see my Master," She replied nonchalantly and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" He stepped closer to her, and she stared him down. Severus saw the moment her left eye twitched again. It had to mean something.

"You're not my Master. My whole purpose of being here is to make the greasy git's life miserable, you're a pawn in his game, so back off," She punctuated her words by poking him in the chest.

Had she a Master? Severus clamped his eyes shut for a few seconds and tried to sort his mind out. Who the hell is her Master? Is it Lucius? Severus didn't know, and he doubted he would ever get the answers he needed unless he went to the Manor himself.

"C'mon sugar there's no reason to be snappy. You can always go and visit him next weekend," He explained and touched her cheeks with his dirty fingers. The sight of his hands on her made his back straighten with anger, and his body wished to let himself be known so that the touching would stop.

"I want to visit him now," She protested as his hand moved to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. Severus watched Hunderford tilt his head a little over his shoulders; he suddenly kissed her sloppily on the lips.

He'd seen enough.

Severus stormed off furious, not caring if he made any noise. _Let them find me!_ He kept clenching and unclenching his fists until he heard the distant sound of someone being slapped. He paused for a second then looked over his shoulder as their voices filled his ears.

"I'm sorry," She wailed. "I don't know what's gotten into me lately. She's very persistent, and I can't get her to shut up."

"Don't worry about it. I'll sort you out with a potion…" Hunderford's voice trailed off, and Severus briskly returned to his quarters.

When Severus arrived, he began to pace around erratically. He kept stopping to pick up random things, only to throw them down in frustration. He couldn't get anything straight in his mind—how could he look into the Dark Lord's eyes and lie, but couldn't organise his thoughts over a woman? It didn't make sense to him.

Should he forget about her and move on with his life? The idea made him flinch, and he shook his head. He could never forget her. He would never be able to love another woman, and nobody could compare to her. She was perfect in his eyes.

To others, she may have appeared to be a know-it-all and bossy, but no one else knew the sated look in her eyes after they'd made love, and they didn't know what it was like to wake up to her beautiful smile every day. That's all he wanted. Her.

Maybe if they'd had a child, then things wouldn't have turned out the way they did. She definitely wouldn't have abandoned her own child, and she'd still be around today—unhappy. Severus growled and sat down at his desk. He glanced at the fireplace, and an idea struck him.

 _I wonder if Albus knows anything?_

Severus got to his feet and quickly flooed to the Headmaster's Office. He stepped out of the green flames and was welcomed by the sight of Albus sitting behind his desk.

"Ah, Severus," He greeted. "Take a seat," He gestured to the chair in front of his desk, and Severus sat down with an annoyed look on his face. "What can I help you with?"

"Do you know if anything happened to her on Valentine's Day?" He asked, and Albus seemed taken aback by his bluntness.

"I know nothing," He said with a sigh. "I wish I did know-"

"Do you think someone could be controlling her?" He questioned with a snarl.

"She isn't under the control of the Imperius Curse," Albus began to pour himself some tea with a wave of his hand. "I believe she is who she is."

Severus' grip tightened on the arm of the chair. She couldn't be because that wasn't how she acted. There was no way that she'd fooled them all through her adolescent life. It wasn't possible.

"What about a Polyjuice potion?" Severus watched him cautiously. Albus was the type of man who knew everything—it's what made him cruel.

"I don't believe so," He said and took a sip of his tea. "Severus, I apologise that she has caused you such heartache, but it truly is her-"

Severus shot up with a growl. "Thank you for your help!" He snapped and marched over to the fireplace and returned to his quarters.

When he stepped out of the flames, he heard someone knocking on his door. Severus opened the door with a furious look on his face only to have it wiped off when he saw her standing there. There was a sadistic smile on her face, but her eyelashes fluttered at him seductively.

"Evening, Snape," She stepped up close to him and tilted her head back to look into his eyes.

Severus felt her warm breath spread across his face and for a second he forgot why he was angry. It was obvious what she was trying to do, and he still didn't stop her as she placed her hand on his chest.

Seducing him was bound to give her and Hunderford something to laugh about—it was worse that she could probably feel his pounding heart beneath her palm. All he did was stare at her blankly.

"Do you still want me?" She whispered and trailed her hand down his chest. "Do I still turn you on?" She moved her lips closer to his. "I'll let you fuck me one more time..." Their lips joined in an awkward kiss and whatever hold she had over him, snapped. He roughly grabbed her arms, opened up the door and pushed her out into the hallway.

"Leave. Me. Alone." He spoke through gritted teeth then slammed the door shut. As he returned to his desk angrily, he heard the distant sound of her laughing hysterically.


	7. Chapter 7

_AN:/ Hello, sorry for the wait, a lot has happened but things are back on track now! I've already written ahead so the updates should be consistent over the next couple of days so keep them reviews coming! Many thanks to everyone who favourited and followed. Also, thank you to TequilaNervous, MsSlytherin98, notyetanotheralias, I'mSevLover, Severussnape1984, Celeste Skye Johnson-Malfoy, ndavis77, iknowyou2, Slytherinvillain7, Moonlit Glitter, and Guests for reviewing, I hope you enjoy this chapter :)_

 ** _Song: Michael Schulte - Thoughts._**

* * *

 _Chapter 7: Malfoy Manor._

"We last saw him the day before he was meant to come over for dinner," Harry explained. "I assumed he was going straight home when he left, but he must've gone somewhere else."

"Thank you for your time," The brown haired Auror said with a smile. "We'll do our best to find him."

Draco eyed up the two Aurors standing in their living room, and the blond haired Auror kept staring at James on the floor. Draco placed himself in front of his son and pinned the old git with a menacing look.

"Are you sure there isn't something that could help us out? Do you know if he was involved in a dangerous case-"

"Shouldn't you know that since he's an Auror," Draco turned up his nose at the pair. "How about you check your records?"

"We're doing everything we can," The blond retorted with a snarl. "For all we know you could have something to do with his disappearance."

"You can leave now," Harry said firmly, and he showed them to the front door, then returned to the living room.

It was now Sunday, and there was still no news about Ron. Mrs Weasley had sent a letter asking if he knew anything, but Harry had no idea where he could've disappeared to.

"Isn't it convenient that Ron goes missing right after he discovered those records about my father," Draco pointed out with a sneer on his face. He knew his father was capable of gruesome things, but the whole situation was theatrical. What could he possibly have to hide?

"We should go to the manor," Harry knelt down on the floor next to James who immediately climbed into his lap and played with his toy.

"My father would never make it that easy. He'll have layers of intricate wards surrounding the place, and I doubt he would ever open the door," Draco sighed and rubbed his hand over his face.

"This is messed up."

"I know."

"What could Lucius be hiding? Yes, it has something to do with Hermione, but there must be something else going on inside Malfoy Manor."

…

Severus stood in the potions storeroom sorting through the mess that his first years had left after Friday's lesson. He'd done a good job at emptying his mind, and he'd spent most of the night thinking with a logical head. Of course, there was something wrong with her. He should've seen it from the beginning, but he'd let that doubtful voice in his mind take control.

However, he was yet to say her name to himself. Her name held so much authority over him, and it hurt that he had to look at her every day and see what had become of her. Everything was going to be OK though, he was going to sort things out—the only place he can get answers is Malfoy Manor, but he needed Lucius to talk to him willingly.

It was going to be difficult.

Severus stared down at the jar of Goosegrass then slid it on the shelf when the heavy door opened. His whole body stiffened at the sight of her, but his lower half immediately jumped to attention when he saw what she was wearing.

She was wearing her golden robe which hung loosely from her bare shoulders and was close to coming undone from the loose knot tied around her waist. Her frizzy curls tumbled down her back, and she flashed him a seductive smile.

"Afternoon, Snape," She purred with an alluring glint in her eye. "I hope I haven't caught you at an inconvenient time."

He stared at her with empty eyes, which secretly watched to see if her left eye twitched.

"I've missed you terribly," Her full lips parted, and she slowly moved her hands to undo the loose knot around her waist. Severus didn't make a move to stop her; her words had paralysed him.

He felt pathetic.

His eyes swept over her curvy body, and he swallowed the lump in his throat when she dropped her robe and revealed her naked skin to him. Severus eyes soon widened in horror when she giggled and lifted up the emerald wedding ring he'd given her. It hung from a golden chain around her neck and stopped below the swell of her breasts.

"This is such a pitiful ring, but I thought it would be fun to wear it for you," She gazed down at the ring, and Severus swore he could see the emerald consume her brown eyes.

It appeared whoever this was standing before him wished to taunt him to his grave. Originally, it had been her engagement ring; he was prepared to get her a fancy diamond one for their wedding, but she'd said that the ring he'd given her was perfect. She hadn't wanted a diamond ring to flash to everyone; she wished to show people a piece of him whenever they asked to see her band.

At the time, Severus thought she was silly, but the idea soon grew on him, and he secretly enjoyed her telling everyone that her husband was a Slytherin.

He continued to let his eyes roam over her body. She was different somehow; the scar on her chest had disappeared, which caused his eyes to fly to her inner wrist, and he saw that the ugly words carved into her arm were no longer there.

Glamour?

She had never felt the need to cover them up around him, or others. She'd once told him that she was proud to carry her scars as they all represented who she was. Severus thought it was a ridiculous thing to do as he viewed his scars as a weakness—that notion had taken a matter of months for her to change.

Merlin, she was beautiful. Hundreds of images tumbled to the forefront of his mind, but the only one he could focus on was the first time they made love:

 _Hermione sat in front of the fireplace with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and pillows surrounding her. Severus watched her keenly from his desk and found it hard to believe that she was truly here._

 _Two weeks had passed since that man attacked her outside the Three Broomsticks, two weeks since they first kissed, two weeks of pure heaven. How had he gotten so fortunate to be with her? She never failed to smile at him whenever she got the chance, and he loved how easily it was to make her blush now._

 _Severus had undressed her with his eyes too many times, and it was getting harder to restrain himself around her. She was beyond perfect, and he didn't know how to approach her about moving things along; he wanted to know what it's like to truly care for the person you have sex with—He wanted to experience the warmth that it brought to one's heart._

 _He got to his feet suddenly, and he walked over to where she was. He awkwardly sat down next to her, and she turned to look at him with a smile._

" _Have you finished marking those essays?" She asked and closed her book._

" _Almost," He grunted back and let his hair fall in front of his eyes. He felt her hand against his cheek, and she pushed some of his hair away so she could look into his dark eyes. He glanced into her brown orbs to see she was thinking hard about something, but it soon disappeared, and she leant over to kiss the corner of his mouth tenderly._

 _Severus closed his eyes for a few seconds. Their only intimate moments had been short and sweet; much like the kiss she'd just given him, but when he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see her looking at him heatedly._

 _Hermione furrowed her brows as another thought clouded her features, then she moved to straddle his hips. The feel of her settled into his lap made the lower half of his body stir. She gazed down at him like he was a puzzle she wished to solve, and when he opened his mouth to say something, she pressed her soft lips to his._

 _That was all it took for his resolve to crumble. Severus immediately flipped her onto the cushioned floor, and she let out a squeal of surprise._

 _"Severus, I was trying-" He crashed their lips together, and she responded by wrapping her legs around his waist to bring their bodies closer._

 _Their tongues danced together, and he felt his whole body surge with need. He could never remember desiring someone as much as he did her—he wasn't complaining._

 _Hermione thrust her chest against his and moaned into his mouth. The heat from the fire flushed her cheeks, and when he pulled away for a few seconds, her blush deepened from the hunger alight within his eyes._

 _He feathered kisses along her jawline then moved to her neck. Severus nibbled at her sensitive skin causing her grip to tighten on the back of his robes._

 _Their feelings were apparent to one another; his hardness nestled uncomfortably between his legs, begging to be touched, and her sensitive bud throbbed when his erection brushed against her clad core._

 _Hermione moaned, and the heavenly sound made Severus growl against the curve of her neck. He returned to her mouth and kissed her roughly; he was certain his heart would pound out of his chest._

 _She curled her fingers around his dark strands, and he moved his kisses down her chin, neck, and paused at the valley of her breasts. Severus didn't know whether they should stop - she hadn't done this before. Hermione growled through her red lips and cast a wandless spell that removed all of her clothes._

 _He hadn't expected her to do that._

 _Severus gazed down at her sexy body with a tinge to his cheeks. A few battle scars marred her skin, but she was still desirable—very desirable._

 _A hoarse chuckle came from his mouth, vibrating her flushed body, and he lowered his mouth to her hard nipple. The warmth of his mouth made her back arch against the covered floor, and Severus suddenly felt the urge to be naked himself._

 _He looked up at her through dark eyes and his stomach flared up at the sight of her biting down on her bottom lip. He brushed the pad of his thumb over her nipple, and gently squeezed her full breast._

 _Severus cast a wandless spell to rid him of his teaching robes then groaned against her when their bare skin touched for the first time. Heat radiated off her body, and her little squirms beneath him caused her thigh to brush against his cock._

 _He'd never been so certain about something before. He loved her, very much. Severus had loved her for longer than he wished to admit, but right now with her lay underneath him, he couldn't think of anything more sublime._

Severus came crashing back to reality, and he looked at her with sorrowful eyes.

"I want you to fuck me like a dirty whore, Snapey," She sashayed closer to him, but he summoned her discarded robe and held it out to her.

"Leave," He whispered, and he noticed his hand was shaking. "Please, just leave."

Severus was going to fix her. He just didn't know how.


	8. Chapter 8

_AN:/ Hello! Not a lot of reviews for the last chapter, but I hope you like this one anyway! Also, I now have to point out that one of you guessed correctly about a crucial part of the story, I'm not going to say who, but you managed to get it spot on! Thank you to BigBangTheory, Francis, Sadonne, Zedoc, and SevLover for reviewing. Hope you enjoy!_

 _Song: Calum Scott - Yours._

* * *

 _Chapter 8: Shame._

Severus scribbled red ink all of the parchment of a first years essay; they still never learn. He sighed, annoyed that he was spending another evening, alone. Although, he wouldn't be in quietness for long.

A man from the Ministry wished to talk to him about The Bookshop—she hadn't given it a creative name—she rather thought the title spoke for itself.

Apparently, she refused to sell it, but no longer wished to run it. They'd been trying to get her alone to talk through her contract. However, she always had something better to do. As Severus' name was on the contract, it had fallen upon him to deal with the situation.

Severus knew she had once adored her fragile bookshop; he would have to drag her away from it whenever she got caught up in her work, but he guessed she no longer wanted it in her life. Many memories came to mind when he thought of the bookshop—his favourite was discovering her secret passion for knitting.

To Severus, she was always a book person, but he'd been wrong the day he walked into the back of her shop and seen her surrounded by balls of thread and covered in half of a jumper; she later gave it to him for Christmas.

She was knowledgeable about the art and would frequently tell him every little detail about it—he knew more than he cared to admit to—however, he enjoyed listening to the squeak of enthusiasm in her voice when she chatted with him.

A dull knock echoed around his desolate quarters, and he waved his hand at the door so it would open. In stepped a formal looking Ministry man with a briefcase, sweat nestled along his brow and he cautiously stepped into the room with wandering eyes.

"Professor Snape," He nodded in greeting and took his place in the chair opposite Severus' desk. "I believe you know why I'm here?"

"I do," Severus cleared the essays from his desk, then linked his fingers together and leaned back in his chair. "It appears my ex-wife no longer wants anything to do with her property."

"I'm afraid so," He opened up his black briefcase and pulled out some papers, he slowly slid them along the oak desk and into Severus' waiting hand. He glanced down at the contract then muttered something inaudible. "She has told us that you can deal with it."

"Of course she said that," He grumbled miserably, then pinched the bridge of his hooked nose. "I can head to the property and clean it out; you can then sell it to whoever wishes to buy it."

"Thank you for agreeing to take this on, sir. If you inform the department when you've disposed of its belongings, then you can sign the papers that devoid you of the lease."

"Very well," He narrowed his eyes at the man who took that as a hint to leave.

"Goodbye," He nodded in response and watched the sweaty man leave in a flurry of work robes.

Severus stared at the empty chair for awhile until Draco's voice came through the flames, then he reluctantly let him in. His blond godson stepped out with a huff and turned to look at him.

"Evening, Severus," He threw himself into the vacant seat and Severus raised an annoyed brow.

"What do I owe the pleasure?" Sarcasm dripped off his tongue, and Draco smirked back at him.

"I thought you might need some company," He said. "I was at work and overheard someone saying they had to visit you today about the bookshop. How did it go?"

Severus tutted. "I have to remove her belongings from it, and then it's to be sold on."

"Do you want some help?" Draco offered.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to get things sorted immediately; he could easily remove the thoughts from his mind if he disposed of the place quickly. Severus looked at him through dark eyes.

"Let us go now," He got to his feet and straightened out his robes.

"Now?" Draco stood up and looked at him warily. "Are you sure-"

"Come along now,"

The pair arrived at Hogsmeade a short while after and stood on the dingy route that led to her bookshop. Severus' eyes peered up at the weather worn sign, then at the boarded up windows. This place had once illuminated life, but now it was reduced to a filthy pit.

Severus sensed eyes on him, and he turned to see an old man watching him from a shop window. He retreated the moment he was spotted, but Severus felt his eyes return to him the moment he turned his attention back to the shop.

"What the heck happened to this place?" Draco unlocked the door with a tap of his wand, then turned to look at the nonplused look on Severus' face. "We might find something that can help us-"

"Shut up," Severus stormed past him and headed into the shadowy bookshop.

It looked as if she'd abandoned the shop abruptly. There was a cup of mouldy tea on the desk at the front of the building. Heaps of books surrounded him; Severus guessed she'd been organising the shelves, awaiting a new shipment to arrive.

She had always kept the shop tidy; it's one of the reasons why he'd had to drag her away from the place, she always made sure it was clean before she left. It wasn't like her to abandon such a duty.

"You said this was the last place she'd been spotted at before she delivered me the divorce papers?" Severus said more to himself than Draco.

"Yes," He murmured back as he browsed the books.

Severus ignored the chill that shot up his spine.

Since the incident in the classroom, he'd done a good job at channelling his mind away from her. He needed to return to his old spy ways; in a way, he blamed her for making that side of him disappear, he hadn't any need for being critical and observant around her. His life was peaceful when she was in it, so he had allowed himself to relax.

However, he'd royally fucked up somewhere.

Severus walked down one of the aisles and paused by one of the desks. A small smile quirked the corner of his mouth and his raven brow raised behind his hair. A half knitted scarf lay spread out on the table circled by green balls of wool; he recognised his house colours and felt a tightness around his heart.

The sight left him breathless, and his lack of blinking brought a wetness to his eyes, yet, he continued to stare at her unfinished project. Severus could only assume that the scarf had been for him—he remembered that he'd been complaining about the cold air a few weeks before Valentine's Day, so she must've started making it for him.

Where had it all gone wrong?

Severus shook the heavy weight from his shoulders, then walked back out into the central part of the bookshop. Draco still scanned the shelves, so Severus made his way over to the desk.

His foot landed on a book.

His brow tightened, and he retrieved it from the floor. He recognised the leather clad tome as her log book. She never wanted to forget what she sold to people, so decided to keep track of every purchase. Severus turned it over to look at her swirly handwriting—he let out a rumbling growl that boomed through the shop.

"What's wrong?" Draco appeared from behind one of the shelves.

Severus' chest rose rapidly as his body tried to control his thundering heart. Anger boiled through his veins and fuelled the fire simmering in his eyes. There, written in her neat handwriting, was the last name entry on the day of their divorce.

Mr Hunderford.

"H-He..." Severus' whole body shook with anger, and he struggled to push the words through his lips. "He did something to her."

"Hunderford?" Draco looked down at the book. "The greasy man last witnessed entering the shop?"

Severus nodded his head. "I need to leave—I have to think things through."

"What about her belongings-"

"I'll sort it out another time. Let us return," Severus fled the bookshop and Draco trailed behind him.

Severus sensed someone's eyes on him again and looked back up at the window to see the same old man watching him through perplexed eyes. He growled in response, then whirled around and stormed off.

Severus left the bookshop behind him, slightly unsettled by the eerie feeling resting on his shoulders. He felt as if he'd missed a crucial detail; something lay in that shop uncovered. He looked back over his shoulder then shook the idea from his mind.

Night fell upon them, and the cold air nipped at their skin. The ghostly feeling followed him all the way back to Hogwarts and plagued his frightful sleep.

However, Severus should've gone back inside and took a peek beneath the desk. There lay a box wrapped in green paper, and a golden ribbon held it together. It was a present to the Head of Slytherin and on the card read _'Happy Valentines Day, Severus. Love Hermione.'_ All he had to do was open it up to uncover his answer to everything.

It's a shame he never went back.


	9. Chapter 9

_AN:/ Hello! We get more of a insight into what is going on with Hermione in this chapter, so enjoy all of the angst. I know some of you are getting frustrated with Severus, but he will come through soon, and don't forget Hermione's POV will be arriving in Chapter 12! Shout out to the following reviewers nicnox, notyetanotheralias, Slytherinvillain7, SevLover, ndavis77, Zedoc, Jollydragon, Sadonne, WizardSmurf and Guest for leaving me your thoughts. I hope you enjoy!_

 ** _Song: Machineheart - Shelter._**

* * *

 _Chapter 9: Sam._

Books surrounded Severus as he flicked through the pages of a dark magic tome. His brow was tight in concentration, and he searched the pages for any sign of hope.

The day after he returned from the bookshop he'd sent a letter off to Malfoy Manor; there was no guarantee that it would make it passed his wards, but Severus wanted Lucius to know that he was requesting an audience with him.

He couldn't let his anger get the better of him and storm to the old manor. The wards could cause him serious harm, and he wasn't sure that he would let him over the threshold. Also, Lucius tended to throw curses immediately when he felt threatened.

Severus hadn't seen much of her over the past few days and engraved into his mind was the image of her naked body in his classroom. He hated how flawless her skin was; it wasn't how he remembered her.

Lessons had just finished, and he neglected the work he needed to mark, knowing very well that none of his students would've listened to anything he said—searching all of his books was more important than petulant children's work.

Severus was having dinner with Minerva later on; he wished to avoid all contact with her for awhile but knew he couldn't ignore her forever. The old witch knew something more was going on and wanted to share her opinion on the matter.

Suddenly, Potter's face appeared in his fireplace and Severus curled his lip at the idiots face, yet, let him through. He recoiled away from his books at the sight of James on his hip and a big bag on his shoulder.

"I need to ask a favour from you," He spluttered out, and put James down. "Could you watch James for awhile. I won't be long, thank you-" Potter dropped the bag and fled, he narrowly missed the hex that Severus launched his way, and it dispersed against the mantle.

"Potter you little shit-"

James looked up at him with big brown eyes and flashed him his pearly white teeth. Severus cringed in response and quickly sent the dark magic books away.

What the hell was Potter thinking? Leaving his child with him—why him? He'd redeemed himself after the war; he didn't deserve this.

...

"He almost killed me!" Harry yelled at Draco as he disapparated into the alleyway they'd agreed to meet.

"I'm sure you're exaggerating," Draco rolled his eyes, and they walked out into a dark part of Knockturn Alley. "Severus loves children."

"Shut up. You and I both know Snape detests them," Harry grumbled back, and Draco placed his hand on the small of his back to urge him forward.

"We have to be quick," He whispered into his ear, and they both walked side by side down the alley.

After a lot of asking around it had come to light that Ron was last seen entering Knockturn Alley—they had no idea as of why—Draco had a friend who often hung around the area, and he said that he saw Ron go inside a very questionable antique shop.

Harry knew that Ron held Hermione dear to his heart, he wasn't in love with her anymore, but he still had a soft spot for her. It was possible that he'd discovered something else and didn't follow the logical part of his brain and went ahead alone.

He wasn't the brightest spark.

Harry wished to hold Draco's hand but knew better than to do so in Knockturn Alley. A few people gave them funny looks because they were walking so close together, and the pair kept their heads down as they weaved their way around the dark buildings.

They soon arrived at a rundown shop. The unreadable sign hung from one hinge and creaked whenever the wind blew. The dusty windows made it hard to see the artifacts hidden within the building.

"You sure are obvious," A slim man appeared behind them, and they whirled around in fright. Draco recognised the narrow wizard as his associate and quickly stopped Harry from pulling out his wand.

"He's a friend," Draco whispered. "What do you mean obvious, Sam?"

"Follow me," He turned on his heel and led them further into the darkness until they arrived outside a brothel.

"I'm not going in there!" Harry exclaimed with flushed cheeks.

"The men inside are too interested in getting their cock wet to listen in on our conversation," Sam explained then rolled his eyes. "Come along now."

Draco grabbed Harry's wrist and pulled him inside. Both of them turned their noses up in disgust at the scene before them; it might as well have been a full-blown orgy. They avoided any form of contact with the frivolous actions around them. Sam brought them over to a table hidden at the back, and they took a seat.

"You said you saw Ron walking around here the night he disappeared," Draco said immediately, but kept his eyes focused on anything that moved.

"Yes," Sam linked his fingers together then smirked. "I recognised him from the papers, and I thought I was about to witness his downfall. It would be rather funny if one of the Golden Trio ended up visiting a brothel such as this; I was going to sell the story to the papers. However, he headed straight towards the artifacts shop."

"Why would he go there?" Harry asked.

"People only go in there to buy a cursed item, or to purchase a curse to put on an item," Sam explained, then flicked his long brown hair over his shoulder. "I noticed that someone was following him, but your friend didn't seem to catch on. He's an Auror, right? Shouldn't he be able to pick up on those things?"

"Ron can be a bit…" Harry paused to think of the right word.

"Simple," Draco added. "I guess he had some form of lead and decided to go on his own. He should've come to us."

"Ron tends to act before he thinks," Harry muttered. "And now he's in serious trouble."

"It's rare that I see people entering that shop," Sam tapped his fingers on the wooden table. "The last time I witnessed someone going inside was years ago. He was a terribly ugly fellow, and he turned up here around two years later with your friend."

Harry's eyes widened. "Hermione?"

"She was in here?" Draco asked. "Why would she be in here? Was she working?"

Sam shook his head. "They only turned up briefly, and the man paid for one of the women here, and they left with her in tow. I've never seen him since. However, I did hear through my many sources that your friend Hermione has gone through a change. Didn't she get divorced from an ex-death eater?"

"We're trying to figure out what happened to her," Harry explained. "She was head over heels in love with Severus Snape, then just over four years ago, she demanded a divorce and disappeared."

Sam looked at them both with narrowed eyes. "Are you pair stupid?"

"Excuse me?" Draco sneered at him.

"I see a weird man enter a cursed artifacts shop around the time your Hermione demanded a divorce, then she turns up two years later looking dead inside with the same man—how are you not seeing the connection? To make things simpler for you, Ronald shows up investigating the same place that the strange man visited only to disappear shortly after; it isn't a mere coincidence."

"She's...cursed," Harry buried his face in his hands. "How had we not noticed it before?"

"The man inside the shop sells different types of curses, and if you can pay the right price, he'll sell you one that cannot be detected," Sam smiled sadly at them. "They're lethal spells, but not a lot of people can afford the hefty sum."

"I bet my father could afford it," Draco grumbled in annoyance. "I don't understand why he's doing this? Hermione means nothing to him-"

"That may be true, but he sure as hell doesn't like Snape," Harry sighed. "Being trapped inside the manor has given him all the time in the world to build up a grudge against the only death eater allowed to live his life freely. I guess it was easy to find out that Snape had gotten married, and it only made it better that she was a Muggle witch—Lucius must've spent a long time planning, only to realise that he could hurt Snape more by taking away the only thing that made him happy. Hermione."

"And why has the famous spy not been able to work this out for himself?" Sam asked.

"Probably because he still believes that no one can love him," Draco replied solemnly.

"Well," Sam drawled. "I think it's about time you sat him down and gave him some tough love."

…

Severus jumped to his feet at the sound of Potter and Draco coming through the floo. He stormed over and grabbed Potter by the collar before the boy could regain his footing.

"You are incredibly lucky that you married my godson," Severus hissed. "If you pull a stunt like that again I will end you. Understand, Potter?"

Potter nodded his head and squirmed out of his hold. Draco scoffed and walked over to pick up James who was sitting in the chair opposite Severus' desk playing happily with one of his toys.

"Don't overreact Severus. He hasn't even made a mess," Draco grabbed James' bag and looked at him with troubled eyes. "We need to talk-"

"Get out. I have things to take care of," Severus dismissed them with a wave of his hand and Potter whined as Draco guided him back into the floo. Severus growled at their departure, then rubbed the back of his neck.

This was not how he'd planned on spending the evening. Potter had just wasted valuable research time, and now he had to run along to meet Minerva. Severus left his quarters behind him and made his way out of the cold dungeon and headed towards Minerva's office.

It didn't take long before he came to a halt and he saw her pacing around the corridor being followed by Hunderford. He saw the angry look on her face, and her brows were tight as if she had a headache.

"I'm going-"

"He said that you cannot visit this weekend," Hunderford interrupted harshly.

"I want to go and tell him what I've done this week!" She yelled, and he shushed her. "I can do as I please Rufus. It has been a long time since my last visit, so I wish to go now."

"I'm afraid that's not possible my dear-"

She stepped up close to him and jabbed her finger into his chest. "I've got a pounding headache today, stop making it worse. I have to go and see him so he can tell me what I have to do next-" She whirled around and her eyes immediately landed on him.

Severus waited to see her reaction, and he wasn't surprised to see an evil smile grow on her face, and she practically threw herself at Hunderford.

"Let's go for a walk," She chirped loudly, and the pair went away laughing.

Severus watched them leave through narrowed eyes, and he tried his hardest to think of something positive, but no thought came to mind. Was he being ignorant towards what was going on? It was true that he wasn't doing everything in his power to find out what had happened to her—he felt sick with shame. He had no one to blame but himself.


	10. Chapter 10

_AN:/ I wanted to get this one out super quickly as it's just a filler chapter, nonetheless, it's still a sweet little flashback. Shotouts will be in the next chapter, so please leave me a review! Enjoy!_

 ** _Song: Timebelle - Apollo._**

* * *

 _Chapter 10: Kiss._

Severus glared at the note in his hand. The evening was damp and foggy; a mirror image of his mood right now. He hadn't expected Lucius even to deem him worthy of a response, yet, here in his hand was the blond gits' response.

' _Not a chance in hell.'_

He shouldn't have entertained the thought that he would willingly let him into the Manor, but he had to get in there somehow.

Today had been a tiresome day filled with glares and staff meetings—a man keeps lurking at the gates, but never makes a move to come in—the way Albus spoke of the man made it seem like it was a minor worry. However, it was evident to Severus that the man wanted something from someone in the castle otherwise he wouldn't continue to pace beyond the gate.

Severus stared at Lucius' response one more time then it burst into flames. He was back to being surrounded by dark magic books, and he was yet to come across anything that matched the way she acted. It angered him that he was passive about the situation.

His mind was screaming at him to destroy the wards around Malfoy Manor and hex the fool until he gave him answers, but Severus knew Malfoy—he would've prepared for such an occurrence. He could easily have her killed if Severus attacked him, hurt her more than he already has.

He knew her too well which was why confusion frequently flooded his mind. She would fight with every breath she took to escape such an enchantment—yes, he'd noticed her many eye twitches—but he was missing something big.

How could he not know what was going on? He, a master spy, could not for the life of him work out what has happened to the woman he loves.

Severus brooded behind his desk for most of the night until a thought triggered the memory of their first kiss:

 _He was running late. Incredibly late. Albus had hounded him the moment he'd finished teaching his last lesson of the day and had him talking to other Professors about their opinions on a mischievous second year. Severus was angry; it was Albus' job, not his._

 _Unfortunately, as he stormed around being Albus' errand boy, he was putting off going to The Three Broomsticks to meet Hermione. He felt reluctant to go as things have been tense for a while now._

 _Severus had come to the realisation that he found Hermione Granger attractive—that word couldn't begin to summarise the way he felt—he always experienced a pull when she was nearby, and it aggravated him daily._

 _A woman like her could never reciprocate his feelings. He should be past the point of self-deprecation, but it was hard not to when he laid his eyes upon such a beautiful witch._

 _It boggled his mind how she voluntarily spent most of her time in his presence. He would come back from a busy day at work to find her loafing about on his sofa as if it was her home. She took time out of her own hectic day to invite him out for quick lunches and long dinners on a Friday._

 _Hermione had never mentioned anyone she dated; she could be dating someone right now, but Severus vowed never to ask. Jealousy and possessiveness were not one of his strong points, and he detested how easily she brought that side of him out._

 _He didn't want to lock her away and keep her to himself; he just didn't wish for another man to have her, nobody could understand her the way he does. Severus knew that she'd shared things with him that she hadn't even told Potter. It meant a lot that Hermione trusted him to carry her secrets with him._

 _Severus finally made it inside The Three Broomsticks and looked around in search of her frizzy hair. He stalked around the tables unable to find her, and he walked over to the bar to ask the man if he'd seen her. After being told that she'd left a short while ago, he pinched the bridge of his nose and left to find her._

 _He wandered off in the direction of her bookshop, but a noise made him pause. Severus craned his neck to look down the dark alleyway, and he heard another yelp._

" _Stop!" Severus flinched at the sound of Hermione's voice._

 _Before his brain could keep up with his body, he flew into the alleyway and yanked the man who had her pinned to the cold ground, away._

 _There was no point in using his wand, a fury that hadn't been present since the war boiled up in his body and Severus started to punch the man repeatedly._

 _He wasn't sure how long had passed, but there was blood soaking his robes, face and hands. The man coughed up more blood, and it only caused Severus to raise his fist one more time—Hermione yelled out to him and latched her hand around his wrist._

" _Severus!" She pulled on him hard. "Stop, let him go."_

" _Stop?!" Severus spat with venom, and she managed to get him to stand up._

" _I-I'm fine," She stammered, and he curled his lip at the sight of her ripped shirt and bloody lip. "Please, let's go."_

 _Severus made a move to go back, but she reached up her shaking hand and cupped the side of his face._

" _Please, Severus…" He growled out in annoyance and made sure she was walking ahead of him as they stepped out of the alleyway._

 _They returned to his quarters in a painful silence. Hermione had unshed tears in her eyes, and he stared daggers at the back of her head. Severus wasn't angry at her, just frustrated because he couldn't go back and kill the man._

 _Hermione awkwardly stood in the centre of the room, then turned to look at him. He couldn't bear the expression on her face; it caused his heart to speed up because he didn't know how to make it go away._

 _Severus retrieved his wand and waved it at her body. Her cut lip healed and her torn top returned to what it once was, but it still didn't erase the pain from her face._

" _What happened?" He asked in his deep baritone voice._

" _You didn't show up on time. I thought that you might be running a little late so I was heading towards Hogwarts when that man grabbed me. H-He only managed to startle me a little; I'm glad you turned up in time otherwise the outcome would've been worse-"_

" _He attacked you."_

" _I'm OK," She replied. "He just frightened me that's all," Hermione wiped away the tears that started to fall, and he clenched his fists._

" _I'm going to kill him," Severus turned on his heel, but she raced over and grabbed his arm. He turned quickly and stared down at her._

" _You can't do something stupid like that-"_

" _Stupid? That imbecile would've raped you!" Severus didn't understand why he seemed angrier than her about what had just happened, but the idea of someone defiling her like that made his gut churn._

" _But he didn't Severus—I just want to forget it happened. Let me heal your hands," She took hold of both of his wrists and, to his surprise, treated them with wandless magic. The blood from his clothes evaporated, and she looked up at him._

" _We need to report him to the Ministry-"_

" _No we don't," She kept her voice steady and kept hold of his hands. "I'm grateful that you were there Severus. Thank you," Hermione pushed herself up on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek._

 _He held his breath as his heart pounded fast in his chest; he was sure she could hear it. Her lips lingered near his cheek, and he could feel her warm breath fan across his skin. Severus swallowed hard when she returned to look up at him._

" _Severus, I…" She trailed off unable to finish, and he found himself unable to move his eyes away from her parted lips. Lust flashed across her eyes—she couldn't possibly want him, could she?_

 _Severus lowered his mouth towards hers and kept them an inch apart. He was scared. Terrified. Hermione, however, became frustrated and closed the gap between them._

 _Heat exploded in his chest, and he could barely contain the animalistic urges within him. Their lips moved perfectly together, her body sank into his and her fingers curled around his clad chest. Severus finally got to live his fantasy of burying his hand into her hair to bring her even closer._

 _Hermione allowed his tongue to evade her mouth and she instantly groaned. The small noise coming from her throat turned him on more, and he gripped onto her waist._

 _It felt like they kissed forever, but they soon had to part swollen lips for oxygen. Severus gazed down at the beautiful witch in his arms and swallowed the lump in his throat when her misty eyes beamed at him._

" _I've wished to do that for awhile," She whispered breathlessly._

 _Severus responded with a dumbfounded look; it was rare that anyone could cause such a reaction from him, but he couldn't think of a single thing to say back._

 _Hermione's face tightened suddenly, and she took a giant step back with an anguished look on her face. "D-Did I cross the line? Oh dear, Severus, I apologise profusely—I thought that you…"_

 _Severus shook his head quickly then marched over to her with a long stride. Once again she was wrapped in his arms, and his lips devoured hers as if she was his last meal. The kiss was enough to make his toes curl and his head spin. It felt like heaven._


	11. Chapter 11

_AN:/ Hello! I decided to merge two chapter together because one was extremely short, so this is the first glimpse into what has been happening with Hermione! Don't hesitate to leave me a review - I know there is annoyance as to the way Severus has been acting, but c'mon, I got to build up the angst a bit, plus there is a reason behind it, so let me get to that after a few chapters have passed!_

 _Thank you to, SevLover, ndavis77, notyetanotheralias and Guest for reviewing! Enjoy!_

 _ **Song: Faith Marie - Antidote.**_

* * *

 _Chapter 11: Threshold._

"He was positively awful—it would last around two minutes—I've never experienced such ill-manners before."

A sad look grew on Severus' face breaking his vow not to bear the expression for the whole day. He watched her from the corner of the staffroom, awaiting to hear how his colleagues would react. She was discussing their—supposed—diabolical sex life.

Why did she feel the need to talk about such a frivolous subject in front of so many people? Severus saw some of the Professors fidget uncomfortably from her excessive rambling, then turn to look elsewhere as if it hadn't happened.

Last night, Severus concluded that his easy acceptance of her lack of love was because she'd disappeared for four years. It was easy for him to picture her living a better life without him than the possibility of her being miserable. Also, she'd fled like a bat out of hell once he'd signed along the dotted line, so he hadn't got much time to notice the little things like the eye twitching and her glamoured body.

That was the only explanation; she somehow had a full body glamour on because he'd memorised every scar, mark and freckle on her body from their—diabolical—lovemaking.

The idea made Severus chuckle. He knew that she was trying to knock him down and throttle him about, so he hated himself more than he already did, and for once, it wasn't impacting him as much as it would have done before.

It was safe to say that she was messing up. No woman could fake what had happened between them; no one could fake the searing touches and breathless moans that bounced off the dungeon walls at night. Severus didn't care what she said—it was a lie.

"I always made sure the room was dark because I didn't want his face ruining the thrill," She snickered, and Hunderford leaned into her. Severus' grip tightened on the newspaper in his hands, but he bit back his explosive anger.

She was telling another lie. The first time they were ever intimate with one another was in front of a raging fire; it exposes every little detail on one's body. There were quick lusting moments in her bookshop when it became empty at lunchtimes. Endearing activities in the potions classroom, many memories of her spread out on his desk smiling up at him as if he'd handed her galleons on a silver platter.

The sad look grew on his face more. Yes, his heart was still hurting. Yes, he felt like he wanted to cry. However, he was sadder that the real her was somewhere inside of this monster.

Albus walked into the room, and everyone focused their attention on him. He caught the look Hunderford gave her, and they both giggled at an unknown joke. Severus straightened in his chair, put the news article down and focused on the elderly wizard.

"We've finally managed to detain the man who has frequented at our gates," Albus explained. "The Ministry has taken him in for questioning, and they're certain he will no longer be an inconvenience to us."

Severus rolled his eyes in boredom. He thought this meeting was to be something of importance, but an old sod lurking by the gates was of no interest to him. Minerva moved over from another table and smiled.

Albus rolled off his list of requests and briefed them of some students they needed to keep a watchful eye over. Severus didn't pay much attention to what was going on until Albus finished the discussion and made his way over to the table.

"Good evening," He nodded to the pair of them. "Severus, I must have a word with you immediately."

That was never good.

Severus bid his goodbye to Minerva and followed behind the Headmaster. He glanced at the nearby sofa and watched Hunderford brush some of her hair away from her soft cheeks; her left eye twitched, then her face returned to normal.

He was going to visit Draco later on to discuss things with him. He needed an easy way to get inside the manor.

Soon after, they arrived at his office, and Severus sat down in the chair opposite. Albus stared at him with a familiar twinkle in his eyes, then leant forward.

"The elderly man being held by the Ministry asked to see you," He said.

"What? Why?" Severus shifted uneasily.

"I'm afraid I do not know. Apparently, he has been too nervous to speak to you in person, but now that the Ministry is questioning him, they discovered that he only wished to tell you something."

Severus looked at him bemused as to what the man could want. "Where is this man from?"

"He told the Ministry that he works in Hogsmeade…" Severus zoned out his voice and thought back to the day he and Draco visited the bookshop. There had been a man watching them from one of the shop windows...what if he knew something? Severus' eyes exploded with curiosity.

Why else would he want to tell him something? Severus knew she had been very friendly with the other shop owners around her, and she would've been extra kind to an old man. He might have seen some odd occurrences on that Valentine's Day.

"I would like to see him," Severus interrupted Albus who smirked in response.

"You may head there now. He should be released as he doesn't pose a risk to the students," Albus dismissed him with a wave of his hand, but his eyes sparkled as he watched Severus leave through the floo.

Severus arrived at the Ministry with, dare he say it, a bounce in his step. He manoeuvred his way through the busy crowds and made his way towards the Auror Department. As he got closer an unsettled feeling rested on his shoulders, people started to whisper, and look around with sombre expressions. He paused his long strides when he saw Potter standing nearby with James.

"Snape?" Potter glanced at him sadly, then placed his hand on James' head.

"What's going on?"

"Draco told me to get down here fast because the Auror's brought in someone who worked near Hermione and wished to talk to you," Potter rambled on not stopping to take a breath. "I got here as fast as I could because it had to mean something—maybe he has the answers we're looking for, b-but...he's dead."

"Dead?" Severus scrunched up his face in disgust, then clenched his hands into fists. "What do you mean, dead?"

"They left him unsupervised in a holding cell because they didn't see him as a threat," He explained and moved to cover James' ears. "They found him with his throat slit; they claim it was suicide, but I think someone wanted him dead."

Severus stared at him blankly. Why now? The man could've cleared everything up for him, but now he's dead. Suicide? More like cold blooded murder. Severus took in a staggered breath and mentally counted to three then released the oxygen from his lungs. He couldn't take this as a knockback.

He was going to find out what happened to her one way or another. First things first, he was getting inside that bloody manor.

...

Severus' robes billowed behind him as he made his way towards the dungeons. He had just visited Albus to discuss the death of Vincent—he'd later found out the old wizard's name—Albus shared his condolences and said nothing else on the subject, but Severus noticed the twinkle in his eyes had gone.

It had crossed his mind that Albus might know something, but even he didn't think that the Headmaster would hide it from him. It could be possible that he has his suspicions and doesn't feel it's right to share them without having evidence to back it up.

Suddenly, Severus halted as she appeared in front of him with a sadistic smile on her face. He stared her down with dark eyes, but it only widened her smile.

"Where are you off to, Snapey?" He gritted his teeth.

"My classroom. Now, if you don't mind," When he moved to step around her she immediately put herself back in his way. "I don't have time for this."

"Time for what?" She snickered. "I'm sure the greasy dungeon bat could spare me a few moments. I am the woman you love after all."

Severus pinned her with a pleading look. Merlin, he wished to be anywhere but here. He could see the madness glowing in her eyes, and the mayhem rocking her smile.

"What can I do for you?" He seethed through a tight jaw.

"Nothing," She laughed and threw her head back then she glanced around the corridor. "I'll allow you to stalk the halls once more. Have a delightful day old man."

He watched her saunter off, then sighed.

Last night he'd spent most of his time at Grimmauld Place listening to Draco and Potter throw around ideas of what could have happened to Vincent; it didn't take long for them to start talking about Weasley. Severus was starting to see the link between everything - the murder of Vincent, and Weasley's disappearance—it was too convenient for two people who uncovered something of importance to have bad things happen to them.

Vincent was easy to dispose of, Weasley however, was more useful alive than dead. Severus agreed to return later on today, and he was going to help them figure out what happened to Weasley. If it's Lucius doing all of this then he must have people working for him, Hunderford wouldn't have the chance to get close to Ron as he spends most of his time perched on his ex-wife's shoulder—there has to be someone else helping him.

Most Death Eaters were either dead or locked up; those that were left roaming were not allowed back in the country. Lucius must be keeping his cards close to his chest and manipulating the right people who have an evil streak within them.

Severus returned to the dungeons and walked into his quarters. He placed the book he was carrying on his desk and prepared himself for his other lessons. They passed agonisingly slow, but he soon arrived at Grimmauld Place once more and joined the occupants at the table.

James eyed him from across the table and tried to challenge his stare. "You 'ring me glitter?"

Severus curled his lip. "I did no such thing."

"James, I've told you that no more glitter is allowed in this house," Draco scolded him then helped him collect his food onto a spoon.

"How was your day?" Potter asked with a smile.

"Horrendous, let's just get on with it. What do you know about Weasley's disappearance?"

"Somebody kidnapped him. The last place someone spotted him at was an old artefacts shop in Knockturn Alley," Potter explained.

"There's no such place-"

"We know that," Draco cut in and ignored the glare Severus sent his way. "It's a cursed artefacts shop. They sell items that have the ability to hold dangerous magic. The man who owns the place can also teach deadly curses to put on random objects for a hefty price; for some unknown reason, Ronald was last seen entering there, he made it out, but he didn't make it out of Knockturn Alley. I guess that someone was following him. Someone had been paying the Auror Department not to release the log book of entrances into Malfoy Manor. Ron managed to get ahold of it; someone saw him as a threat and noticed he was getting too close to discovering the bigger picture so decided to do something."

"Your father."

"More than likely," Draco sighed. "However, there's no way we can get to him. I've tried to approach the manor, but the wards send me flying backwards."

Severus tapped his fist against the table and tried to regain a stable mind. Artefacts? Maybe that's how someone's controlling her? Lucius could afford the large sum to pay for the knowledge of a curse, but he couldn't be the one to give it to her. Severus knew that she would never go into the Manor willingly.

 _Hunderford_. That greasy bastard is Lucius' minion; it's obvious.

"I sent Lucius a letter asking if he would allow me into the manor to talk," Severus looked around the room then sighed. "He replied saying 'Not a chance in hell', so I have no idea where to start."

"You said that there's a man called Hunderford who lurks around her?" Potter asked, and Severus nodded. "He must have something to do with this."

"I'm aware of that, Potter," He snarled. "That pompous git hardly leaves her side. Someone's controlling her somehow, and Hunderford needs to be around constantly in case something goes wrong. I overheard them once, and she complained about someone being persistent, and it was causing her a headache. I've gone through all of my books and tried to find something, and the only conclusion I can draw is that the curse has trapped her within her mind."

"I've been a fool...I've failed her as a husband. The moment she said she didn't love me I accepted it because I always thought that it was coming, that it was too good to be true that a woman like her could feel like that about me. I hid away for two years—I don't even know where she was during that time—it appears that she's a prisoner of her mind, but I have no idea what is controlling her. It's nothing like the Imperius Curse; I believe now that it may be an artefact manipulating her."

Potter and Draco looked taken aback by the sensitive side he'd exposed to them, but it was understandable that Severus felt a painful regret of giving up so quickly.

"Have you seen anything on her?" Draco asked. "A hairpiece? Jewelry?"

Severus shook his head. "The only thing I have noticed is that her body seems to be consumed by a glamour. She doesn't have any markings on her body like she used to. The freckles on her face have gone, her scars have vanished, and her skin looks oddly plastic—it's somehow too perfect."

"Are you sure there isn't anything?"

"No—" Severus paused, tapped his fingers on the table, then spoke out his sudden realisation. "Oh...her wedding ring. She was still wearing the ring I gave her...why would she keep it on if she hates me so much?"

"Maybe because it's the thing that's controlling her."

...

The rain poured down around her and Hermione smirked evilly to herself as she approached the door to Malfoy Manor. There was a growing excitement to run inside to her Master and tell him everything she'd done these past few weeks—he would revel in knowing the humiliation she caused Professor Snape.

Hermione placed her hand on the doorknob and pushed open the heavy door. The moment she stepped over the threshold an ear piercing scream tore from her lips, and she flew to the floor as the door slammed shut behind her.

Ripples of magic flew off her as the huge wave of emotion crippled her. Her once glowing skin faded out to its pale and hollow form. Heavy bags appeared beneath her bloodshot eyes, and her tear-stained cheeks stood out like blood against the snow.

Pain. So much pain.

She sobbed onto the cold floor and curled herself up into a ball. Her wedding ring tumbled out of the confines of her shirt, and she watched the glowing emerald fade out as the magic evaporated from her body and soul.

"I do wish you'd stop acting this way whenever you come inside the manor," Out of the shadows stepped Lucius Malfoy. He scowled down at her trembling, malnourished body and smirked wickedly. "Did you have an enjoyable week?"

"Fuck you!" She spat through gritted teeth as the pain became unbearable.

"Crucio!" He yelled, and the curse ripped through her body causing her to fall silent as she moved erratically on the floor—she'd learnt to stop screaming a long time ago. The spasms rocked her bones, but soon died down to twitches when he lowered his wand, leaving her more exhausted than before. She still felt pain, but it was numb enough that she could push herself up onto her knees and glare at the hideous monster inside the manor.

"Where is he?" She asked, wiping the moisture from her face.

"Locked in his room as always," Lucius walked back into the shadows of the gloomy manor and Hermione stood up on weak legs. Her knees protested, but nothing on this godforsaken earth was going to stop her from getting upstairs and into that room.

The only way she could make it up the stairs was by crawling, so she did so, slowly. Her body needed time to adjust after being under the influence of such heavy magic. It was always like this. The moment Hermione steps a foot outside of the manor, the curse will take over her body again, and she'll be back to being Lucius' toy.

 _Back to hurting Severus—_

Hermione hissed as she reached the top of the stairs, and curled her fingers around her matted hair. _Don't think about him_. She couldn't; she wasn't allowed to because it made the pain worse. It made everything so much worse.

It was draining when she was under Lucius' control. She was a prisoner of her mind, no matter how much she screamed at herself to not do those horrible things, she still did them anyway. Hermione had only managed to push the boundaries of being a prisoner once, but it hadn't been enough to annihilate the curse from her soul.

She got to her feet and used the wall to support her journey down the corridor. Hermione sighed in relief at the sight of the familiar door which opened before her. She stumbled into the room and collapsed to her knees. A gasp came from the fire and Rima the house-elf turned to look at her.

A mess of black hair looked away from the fire, and the scrawny child scurried to his feet with a cry. "Mummy!"


	12. Chapter 12

_AN:/ Hi! This chapter is all Hermione, so it's time to discover what has been going on! The next chapter will contain quick flashbacks of what happened on Valentine's Day, so that one will be up in a few days. Thank you to the following people for reviewing, LittleMissKilljoy, WizardSmurf, Criss41, I'mSevLover, Karli1252, Sadonne, TiaBelle2014, Slytherinvillain7, ndavis77, LoveInTheBattleField, SexyGreenEyes, Tequilanervous, Zedoc, and Guests for reviewing! It was lovely to hear from new people! I would say enjoy, but this chapter is kind of...well you'll see!_

 ** _Song: Enya - Only Time._**

* * *

 _Chapter 12: Erik._

"Mummy are you OK?" Erik Severus Snape nuzzled his wet eyes into Hermione's neck, distressed at the sight of his mother in pain.

"I'm all right sweetie," She moved to brush his long hair away from his face. "Show me a smile," Erik grinned at his mother's soothing words, and she kissed his forehead. "There we go."

Erik was the spitting image of his father. Long black hair, lanky frame, prominent nose, and dark eyes. However, he was very much his mother on the inside.

Hermione got to her feet and let Erik hold onto her leg as she staggered over to the fire.

The pain would subside soon, but she hated that Erik had to see her this way. She's his mother after all, and she can't even protect him from the danger he's in.

Oh, Merlin, she had tried to escape.

"Evening Rima," She greeted, and the house-elf scurried away to bring her mistress some food and drink.

Rima was Erik's full-time carer. Hermione was only allowed to visit on the weekends, but even then she wasn't sure if her cursed-self would let her get near the manor. The real Hermione was always screaming at herself to run inside the manor and take her son away from this hell hole, but she couldn't.

 _The dark magic will take control, and my son would never look at me the same way again._

She was proud of Erik. He was facing a lot of difficult things in his life. Being locked up inside a manor for three and a half years could cause someone serious damage at such a young age, but Rima helped out alot.

After she delivered the divorce papers to Severus, Hermione returned to the manor. When released from the curse as she stepped inside, her whole body had convulsed while she sobbed hysterically on the floor.

Lucius lurked in the shadows watching her pain—thankfully she'd spotted him before he could say ' _Crucio'_. She begged him not to cast it and whimpered that she was pregnant. It had only brought a smile to his face, and Hunderford dragged her upstairs and into the room she was in now.

Hermione spent most of her pregnancy locked inside the bedroom with Rima for company. It took her a month to stop crying herself to sleep, two months to find out that she was now under the influence of dark magic if she ever left the manor, and three months to realise that she'd broken her promise to Severus. _I promised him on our wedding night that I'd never leave him._

The thought made her flinch as she joined Erik on the floor in front of the fire.

That Valentine's Day had gone wrong so fast, Hermione had been ready to tell Severus that she was pregnant and she'd struggled to contain her excitement while at work, then Hunderford walked in and ruined it all.

The truth was that she'd known Lucius would come after her. It was her fault that this had happened. _I should've told Severus that Lucius kept sending me abusive letters—I didn't want to stress him out._

Hunderford cursed her ring when he'd tricked her into letting him touch it, and the destructive magic took control of her body. _Being a prisoner of your own mind is excruciating_.

Hermione tried her hardest to break free, but nothing ever worked. Sometimes she got a reaction from her cruel-self—an eye twitch was the common effect. _I'll never stop trying to fight it._

Merlin, she was furious with Severus, so incredibly angry at him. He'd believed her when she said she didn't love him; after all the times she'd told him she would forever, he looked her in the eyes and accepted her words.

However, his pain made everything worse. He didn't know that she'd been locked up in this room for two years, giving birth to their son and being beaten to protect him. She would take a thousand lashings before she let Lucius get anywhere near Severus or Erik.

She hated the things her cursed-self said to him and the way he looked at her as if to beg her to stop. She always tried to push herself against her caged mind, but nothing ever worked.

After two years inside the manor, Hermione was sent out regularly with Rufus so he could train her to respond to orders. She was made to do horrific things like kill innocent people; she would return to the manor and be free of the curse, only to cry on the cold floor while Lucius had fun torturing her.

Hermione always reminded herself that she had to keep going. For Severus. For Erik.

She'd tried to escape many times, but she could not figure out a way to break the curse when she stepped outside. Her possessed body would only act the way Lucius wanted her to. _He's doing all this because he's jealous that Severus gets to live his life freely—the way he deserves._

"Are you staying Mummy, or d'ya gotta go back?" He climbed into her lap and nuzzled himself against her bosom. She kissed the top of his head and sighed.

"I'm going to stay for awhile," She said while she stroked his head.

"I missed you," He looked up at her with his big black eyes, and she bit down on her quivering lip. He reminded her of Severus too much.

"I missed you too," Hermione held him close and let herself relax for the time being. The feel of her son in her arms was enough to ease her scarred mind for the time being.

They stayed that way momentarily, and Rima returned with food and drink. Erik was gone to the world and snoozed happily against Hermione's chest. She nibbled at her food, but her stomach soon protested. It was an after effect of the curse; she rarely ate, and her brittle frame proved her malnourished state.

Hermione bundled Erik into her arms and lay him down on the big bed, she sat down on the edge and moved the hair from his face. Tears welled up in her eyes and Rima came over to comfort her. She longed for the day that Severus could meet his son. It was hard to look at Erik because he was the perfect image of the man she loved—a man who thought she no longer loved him.

Hermione looked down at her wedding ring and bit back her growl. She couldn't take it off otherwise the curse would kill her; she wasn't stupid enough to try because Erik needs her here. _As much as I want to do everything within my power to escape, I have to remember that I'm more important alive than dead._

 _Just like Ron._

She stiffened at the thought. Hunderford had told her that Lucius had ordered his spy from the Auror Department to bring Ron inside the manor. _He must be in the cellar._ Hunderford was a pain in the arse. He always found a way to touch her in front of Severus to see how far he could provoke him. She hated seeing the devastated look in his eyes, but nothing she ever did would work.

Hunderford had never gone beyond touching or kissing because Hermione always managed to throw herself at the walls in her mind and cause her cursed-self to lash out at him. That was the only control Hermione had over herself. It wasn't much, but she'd fight tooth and nail if he tried to take it any further.

Hermione pressed a kiss to Erik's forehead and made sure he was tucked in. She bid goodbye to Rima and made her way out of the room. The door shut on its own and she felt the wards go back up _. Erik has never been outside of his room._

She walked down the corridor, ignoring her body crying out for her to stop. She felt pain rush down her spine, and she leant onto the wall for support until she got to the top of the stairs. Lucius was waiting at the bottom with his eyes narrowed in a scowl. He sent a stinging jinx her way, and she stumbled back from the immature hit.

Hermione couldn't use her magic inside of the manor. Only outside.

She gripped on tightly to the bannister, gritted her teeth through the pain and eventually made it to the bottom step. "W-Where's Ron?"

" _Crucio!"_ Hermione cried out in agony and her knees buckled beneath her quivering weight. He immediately stopped the spell and stared down at her. It was rare that he did it for prolonged periods of time. He kept it short and sweet so he could cause her more bursts of pain later on.

Hermione's cry awoke Erik, and she whimpered against the floor when he began to cry out for her. She managed to sit back on her ankles and glare up at Lucius just as he yanked her from the floor roughly and began pulling her along.

They arrived at the steps which led down to the cellar, and she struggled relentlessly behind him. "Please let me go to him!" She yelled still able to hear Erik crying for her. "Please!"

Lucius pulled her up to a cell door and waved his hand to open it. Hermione's eyes widened at the sight of Ron. He had numerous cuts on his face, and layers of blood and dirt covered his skin. His eyes widened to when Lucius threw her into the room with him. She turned to give Lucius a murderous glare.

"Weasley, as you can see she's safe," Lucius pointed his wand at Hermione, daring her to try and do something out of turn. "Your efforts to uncover the truth have failed. I'm afraid you will be spending the rest of your days rotting in this cell."

"You can't do this!" Ron yelled.

"I can't?" Lucius challenged, and Hermione gave Ron a pleading look.

"Ron, don't do anything stupid-"

" _Crucio!"_ Hermione screamed again as her body convulsed on the floor. Ron begged Lucius to stop, and he drew back his wand.

Hermione panted heavily and clamped her eyes shut. She willed herself to think of happy memories, think about why she had to keep on going. It had to be a good sign that Ron was here; it meant that they were getting closer to finding out the truth. _Does that mean Severus knows?_ She winced, then sat up straight.

"Ron…" Her voice was raw from her screams. "Do as he says."

"What have you done?" Ron stared up at Lucius in disbelief, then looked over at Hermione's shaking form. "Why are you doing this?"

"You don't get to ask questions," Lucius pulled her from the floor and dragged her from the cell. Ron shouted for him to come back while he pulled against his chains, but Hermione was soon manhandled back upstairs.

Erik's cries still echoed off the walls, and she whimpered as she looked up the stairs. With a defeated look on her face, she turned back to Lucius. "Can I go upstairs and calm him?"

He stared down at her, and she saw his wand hand move, but he didn't aim it at her. She sighed in relief as he disappeared into the shadows of the manor. When she was sure he was elsewhere, she climbed up the stairs and made her way back to the room.

The door opened, and Erik ran into her arms as she collapsed onto the floor. "Don't be 'fraid mummy," He whispered in her ear with tears in his eyes. "Can you sleep with me?" Hermione nodded her head and swallowed her salty tears. She made her way over to the bed and settled Erik down for the night.

Hermione didn't sleep well. She spent most of her time watching over Erik while Rima observed from the fireplace. By Monday she'll be back to being cruel again. Back to hurting Severus. Back to being away from their son.


	13. Chapter 13

_AN:/ Hi! It was lovely to hear from so many new people, and, of course, the regular people! Some of you have asked about whether or not this story has a happy end, and asked when the sadness will stop. There is around four chapters left until I get to the main turning point in the story then afterwards will be the recovery chapters where there is more plot which is less angst and more fluff!_

 _Thank you to the following reviewers, Blue night fairy, juliany reis, hatebelow, I'mSevLover, Nastytashy, TequilaNervous, Slytherinvillain7, ndavis77, Guest92, Zedoc, notyetanotheralias, and Guest for reviewing! Have fun with this one :D_

 ** _Song: Madilyn Bailey - Maps._**

* * *

 _Chapter 13: Revenge is Sweet._

 _ **Hermione's Pregnancy Flashback:**_

Hermione looked down at the pregnancy test with eager eyes. She was bouncing around giddily, while she did laps of the bathroom. She should be doing this elsewhere, but the thought had struck her early on in the day, and Severus was busy teaching.

A child wasn't about to cause their relationship to crumble. She felt like it would strengthen it. They hadn't addressed the topic before, but she knew it would be something Severus took in his stride.

Fatherhood would definitely look good on him. Motherhood would change her body, drain her physically, but otherwise, it was going to be perfect. She peeped at the muggle device and bit her lip.

Hermione had been shopping in London searching for some muggle stories to add to her collection when she realised that they'd been lazy with the contraception charm. Incredibly lazy.

She blamed herself because she got urges to jump on him at random times and kiss him senseless until he gave into her request. He always obliged eagerly too, but through hazy minds, it was hard to remember to put the charm on.

They were married so it shouldn't be a necessity.

Hermione wasn't going to tell Severus straight away. She was going to wait until she got her first checkup then tell him on Valentine's Day—yes, that was a perfect idea. _It will be the best present ever._

She picked up the test and immediately threw her arms up in the air. "Yes! Yes, oh yes—I can't believe it!" She stared at her beaming face in the mirror. "I'm pregnant."

...

Hermione manoeuvred her way around the Muggle supermarket until she got to the gift section. She was on the hunt for the perfect way to tell Severus she was pregnant. Words would suffice, but Hermione wished to take him off guard completely.

Then, while walking the streets of London, she remembered that decorative mugs were a thing. She was searching for a mug that said ' _No#1 Dad'_ on it. That would definitely take him by surprise. She could already picture his furrowed brow as he read the print on the side, and the way he'd look at her in realisation.

Tomorrow was Valentine's Day, and she was over the moon with excitement. Severus had noticed her constant state of giddiness and took full advantage of it. She was still aching from their late night endeavours, and she blushed at the thought.

Her checkup had gone well, and she was eight weeks pregnant. There was no visible sign of a bump, but Hermione had noticed that her breasts were starting to become more tender—Severus had given them a perplexed look last night, then shook his head as if it was nothing.

Hermione had begun to crave bacon. She'd ordered Severus to cook her piles of it, but he hadn't commented on her behaviour. She thought he would've figured it out by now, but knew he wouldn't even believe that it was an option to her strange cravings.

Morning sickness had plagued her. However, Severus had always been off teaching by the time the wave hit her. She felt bad for not informing him yet, but she was waiting to surprise him. Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.

Hermione picked out the perfect mug and smiled down at it. Tomorrow will be perfect.

…

Hermione raced around the bookshop making sure she recorded new updates in the logbook, and misplaced titles went back to their original spot. She was doing her best to distract her excitement, but nothing could stop the skip in her step as she moved between shelves.

Today's Valentine's Day and she couldn't wait to give Severus his present. It was wrapped up in a small box under the front desk waiting for Severus to open. She made sure to check it was still there every couple of minutes even though nobody had come inside the shop because it's closed today.

 _I've got an important shipment coming in tomorrow, so I need to make some space._ Hermione tapped her wand against her chin and got to work on adding more shelves to the walls.

She had a cup of tea waiting for her at the front desk, but she had long forgotten about it. On the other side of the shop was the scarf she was knitting for Severus. _He keeps complaining about the cold, but whenever I tell him to wrap up, he scowls at me and walks off._ But, Merlin forbid, she steps outside without warm clothes on, he drags her back inside or takes off his cloak to give to her.

 _There is always an underlining of sweetness in his actions._

The bell above the door chimed. "This shop is closed!" She stepped out from behind a bookshelf.

There was a stout, smiley man standing there holding a briefcase. She took in the sweat that covered his face and the grease that laced itself through his hair—it was his smile that put her on edge.

"Can I help?" She asked.

"I know you're closed, my dear, but I'm in dire need of a book for my wife. She will not be happy if I don't give her a present for Valentine's Day," Hermione smiled knowingly at him.

"I'll be willing to help you, sir," She opened up the logbook. "What book does your wife want Mr...?"

"Mr Hunderford," She quickly wrote it down, then they shook hands, but he didn't let her hand go; he turned it over to look at the emerald ring on her finger. "That is a beautiful ring. He must be a lucky wizard."

Hermione laughed. "We've been happily married for a year now," The room seemed to glow with her happiness. "I'm the lucky one."

"I'm sure you are," He chuckled. "Do you happen to know where your husband got this ring from? My wife loves her jewels as well as her books."

"I do not know, sorry," Hermione tried to pull her hand away, but his grip tightened on her wrist. She furrowed her brow in confusion; then realisation flooded her face. "Tell Lucius to leave me alone-"

 _"Mea est dulcis."_

The ring on her finger illuminated the room, and the sick look on Hunderford's face was the last thing she remembered before something evil took control of her body.

 _ **End Of Flashback.**_

…

Severus watched her walk around the staffroom with Hunderford by her side. His eyes followed her every move as he discreetly tried to think of a plan. She was acting differently today, her face settled into a terrible scowl, and she looked ready to bite Hunderford's head off.

Minerva was sat opposite him staring at his face. He turned to regard her with a glare, and she quickly sipped her tea. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," He grumbled, and she tutted in response.

"I don't appreciate being lied to Severus. Has something happened?"

Severus sighed. "I'll explain at a later date," He glanced back at her. "Does she look different to you?"

"Oddly enough, yes she does. I've become accustomed to her sadistic smile; a scowl doesn't suit her well," The pair observed her as she took a seat by the fireplace. "Albus informed me that she left for the weekend."

"Left?"

Severus recalled the conversations he overheard when she demanded to be allowed permission to see her Master. Maybe she finally got to see him. Had he missed his chance? It didn't feel right to him that she returned from seeing Lucius with a menacing look on her face; it opened many possibilities in his mind.

"She was gone all weekend and returned at two o'clock this morning," She said. "Albus was going to tell you, but he didn't wish to cause you any disturbance. He knows you've been helping Harry find out what has happened to Ronald."

Severus grunted in response and continued to watch her from afar. He wondered if he'd ever pluck up the courage to say her name; he couldn't even think her name in his head without feeling anger and regret. _I need to stop feeling sorry for myself._

"I've got some things to take care of," Severus got to his feet and bid Minerva goodbye. He left the staffroom and caught the moment her head shifted an inch in his direction, but her eyes never met his.

He walked down the halls, and when he passed the courtyard, he saw Potter and his son coming his way. Severus narrowed his eyes in confusion and almost turned to walk off, but James' face lit up at the sight of him.

"Mr Snape! 'Dis castle is big! My daddy went to school here. I get to come here too, right daddy? I get to be like you and dad? I wanna' come here, please daddy, you gotta' let me come here! Mr Snape can teach me too—I won't touch glitter again if you let me-"

"Breathe," Potter laughed and stilled James' erratic body movements. "Good Morning."

"What are you doing here?" Severus asked, then he pulled his robes away from James' reach when he tried to grab them.

"I decided to pay Albus a visit-" Potter paused and stared at something over his shoulders with wide eyes. Severus turned and saw that Hunderford was approaching with his ex-wife wrapped around his arm.

They both froze when they saw them, and Hunderford quickly laughed, then whispered something in her ear—she didn't react. Severus followed her glower to James and wondered why she had a dead look in her eyes. Hunderford nudged her, but she still didn't respond.

Severus suddenly remembered that this was the first time Potter had seen her in years. He glanced at him and saw the cautious expression on his face and Severus could tell that he wished to say something.

"Just leave it," Severus whispered.

"We need to go now," Hunderford pulled her arm roughly, and she snapped out of her trance.

"Sorry," She grumbled.

They left arm in arm and Severus was shocked that she hadn't thrown an insult his way. He watched them until they were out of sight, then focused on Potter.

"She looks...different," Potter placed his hand on top of James' head. "Have you heard anything else from Lucius?"

"I have not," Severus took a step back. "Goodbye Potter."

Later on, Severus found himself brooding over a logical thought while he tried to mark some second-year essays. His quill paused over the poorly wrote answer, and he glanced at the fire.

He'd finally decided that acting on impulse may not be as bad as it's made out to be. He needed to get answers fast, and the only way to get closer to the truth is if he goes to Malfoy Manor. Severus could try to disable the wards; he was an infamous spy, after all, a few wards shouldn't be an inconvenience to him.

Severus put the quill down then got to his feet. He swallowed the forming lump in his throat, then retrieved his cloak from the hook near the door. This was it; he was going to do it.

 _I have to do this_ , was his last thought before he left his private chambers and headed towards the gates.

* * *

 ** _Mea est dulcis: Revenge is Sweet._**


	14. Chapter 14

_AN:/ Hello! I'm back with another chapter, one which you may like as things are starting to move along quickly! Inspiration struck me and I started to write the scene where the real Hermione and Severus talk - and if a lot of you want to see a furious Hermione, that's exactly what you'll be getting! But, I'm a massive supporter of happily ever afters, but I just like to go the long way around to get there :D A HUGE thank you to following reviewers_ _I'mSevLover, GoForHerBlood, josiegrossie, juliany reis, Zedoc, ndavis77, and Guests for reviewing. Enjoy this one!_

 ** _Song: Eric Arjes - Find My Way Back._**

* * *

 _Chapter 14: Walked Away._

Severus marched right up to the front door of Malfoy Manor. He kept glancing around to see if there was any sign of movement, but nothing came about. The wards had let him through without him trying to disable them; it was as if they were programmed to let him in.

He knew that it could be a way of Lucius toying with him, so he made sure his wand was easy to access as he knocked on the door. The door slowly opened, and a shy house-elf stood before him. Her ears folded over, and her big eyes glanced up at him innocently. It took him by surprise for a mere second then the house-elf stumbled backwards and Lucius' familiar cane collided with her back.

"Get upstairs you useless piece of scum," The snarl didn't frighten the poor elf, but she quickly fled up the staircase.

Lucius turned his blond head, and his familiar sneer grew on his face. "What a pleasant surprise."

This was it. He'd come this far, and all he had to do was interrogate Lucius without him knowing that he was doing so. Severus didn't care how he did it, but he was going to find out what Lucius was doing to his wife—ex-wife.

The thought stilled him momentarily; then he stepped inside. The door slid shut with a firm thud, and Lucius raked his eyes over his form.

"Did my letter mean nothing to you?" Lucius called over his shoulder and led him into the sitting room. A glass of firewhiskey appeared on the table, and Severus shook his head.

"Your letter was rather broadly written—if you didn't wish to see me you wouldn't have allowed the wards to let me through," Severus sat down on the sofa and Lucius lowered himself onto the one opposite him.

"Hm," He grunted. "What do you want?"

"To see how you are," He lied. "It must be rather lonely trapped inside your manor."

"I wouldn't say I'm lonely; there is always fuel for my mayhem," He explained, and Severus' jaw tightened. "I haven't heard from my son in a long time. How is he?"

"He has a son now-"

"That child is not related to me in any way. I do not care what he gets up to with that bent Potter," He spat and took a sip of his firewhiskey. "Is he doing well at the Ministry?"

"Yes. I believe he does a bit of everything, and the Ministry thinks highly of him," Severus eyed him up. "Do you still speak to Narcissa?"

He was curious about her. "Last I heard she was out of Azkaban and galavanting across Europe with some man."

Severus didn't blame the woman for doing so. It was clear that she'd seen the wrong that had occurred during the war and she wished to be as far away from Lucius as possible; even if it meant not keeping in contact with her son. There was no doubt in his mind that Narcissa loved Draco, but there was always the risk of Lucius catching onto her keeping in contact with Draco, which would only worsen the situation. _I wonder if she knows that Draco has a son?_

"Do they not allow you any female company in here?" Severus relaxed against the sofa and ignored the sharp look in Lucius' eyes.

If Severus' assumptions were correct, then there was a high probability that Weasley was here somewhere. _My guess is down in the cellar_. Another thought irritating his mind was the fact that Lucius sent the house-elf upstairs and not back to the kitchen.

"I have all the female company I could wish for," Lucius smirked against his whiskey glass. "Young witches still flock to me."

Severus swore his heart missed a few beats and his chest rose fast for oxygen. He couldn't let his emotions run wild because he wasn't going to get far if he killed Lucius on the spot. It was the most favourable option, but he didn't know if Lucius' death could cause Hermione any harm. Hunderford would surely have a plan if that ever happened.

"I must ask you, Severus, what happened to that Mudblood wife of yours?" Lucius' blond hair moved as he tilted his head to the side. "Last I heard she was hanging around in brothels."

Severus had to avoid looking into his eyes in case he gave anything away, or in case he wandlessley hexed him into oblivion. He rested his hand on the arm of the sofa and tapped an irregular beat with his fingertips.

"Well, she now works at Hogwarts," Severus' voice was low then he chuckled. "She teaches Muggle Studies and spends her free time in the company of a man called Rufus Hunderford. I believe you know him?"

"I've never heard of the man."

It was like talking to a brick wall. Both of them were too headstrong to buckle under one another's scrutiny, and Severus knew he couldn't back down—he'd spent too many years cowering away from the idea of Hermione. She's the love of his life, and he'll be damned if he goes on any longer without knowing how to fix her.

"Maybe I was mistaken," Severus muttered. "I could've sworn I've heard you mention him before. It must be a different Rufus Hunderford, what are the chances…"

"Why are you really here? It may seem like I have a lot of free time on my hands, but it's only to be used up by worthy people. You're not one of them."

"You wound me, Lucius. After all, we did spend years fighting alongside one another, and you don't welcome me into your home with open arms. Why?" Severus fought back his smirk, but he couldn't help feeling slightly victorious that he was in a situation that Lucius couldn't lie his way out of. He knew too much of the truth to know that everything Lucius was saying was a lie.

"You're a traitor. Fighting for that despicable wizard and disregarding our Dark Lord; that has blood traitor written all over it. All because you fancied yourself in love with Potter's mother," Lucius threw his head back and laughed. "Then you replace her with another filthy Mudblood."

Severus had faced a lot of questions about Lily Evans after the war had finished. He refused to answer any of them and only wanted time to himself where he could recover and forget that he was ever a Death Eater. However, fate had other ideas, and Hermione had knocked on his door to hand him a box of letters and flashed him her heavenly smile.

He wasn't going to call it love at first sight because he'd watched her grow up from being a child into a woman, but it was as if he was seeing her in a different light. At first, he'd kept his guard up around her until he saw no ulterior motive to her talking to him all the time. It was then that he became lax and no longer looked over his shoulder whenever someone made a noise.

Severus hadn't been as hung up on Lily Evans as everyone made him out to be. He thought of her fondly, but that was it. Severus was angry at her as well as happy that he was past that time in his life. Hermione had asked him once about her, and he'd given her the same answer; she hadn't asked again, and he was glad. Hermione shadowed over Lily in a heartbeat.

He was a grown man and he—the greasy dungeon bat—could honestly explain to someone what it was like to be in love with someone. How it felt not to be trapped in an unrequited love; how it felt to have unconditional love. He didn't feel embarrassed when he could tell someone that there was a woman out there who loved him just as much as he loved her.

"She may no longer be my wife, but you will never call her that disgusting word again in my presence-"

"Do it again! Do it again!" A child's laugh bounced off the walls and Lucius' eyes immediately widened, and he shot to his feet.

"Get out!" He snarled, and he tossed his whiskey glass against the wall. "OUT!"

Severus stared at him blankly for a few seconds, then slowly got to his feet. He moved towards the front door and quickly looked over at the staircase. Had he just heard a child?

"I will not allow you in here again," Lucius growled.

Severus turned to regard him with a look that made his students shiver. "I'll be seeing you again."

With that, Severus opened the door and left Malfoy Manor.

…

"Who the hell is this?" Severus asked as he eyed up the brightly robed man in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place.

"I am Samuel Rivers. Preferably known as Sam," He bowed before Severus whose jaw tightened and he watched as Draco slapped his hand against his forehead.

"Stop with the dramatics, Sam. When you said you needed to tell us something, I assume it was of importance," Draco ushered everyone to sit down, and Harry awkwardly held four-year-old James while he snoozed against his chest.

"It is," He flicked his long brown hair over his shoulder and relaxed into the chair. "The man who owns the artefacts shop came into the brothel last night—It was rather an odd sight, the old man never ventures far from his shop. However, I recognised who he was so I decided to butter him up with some good old firewhiskey and got some answers from him."

Severus wondered why this man was helping them. As far as he knew Hermione didn't know him, he certainly didn't know him, but it appeared Potter and Draco did. _He just said a brothel._ Lucius' words echoed in his mind.

"Why do you know so much?" Severus asked.

"He is the one who told us about the artefact shop," Draco explained. "He chooses to spend most of his time in a brothel nearby."

"I saw your precious wife in there once."

Severus stiffened. "Saw her?"

"Don't worry; she didn't get up to any indecent acts as far as I know. She left after a short while with a man I now know as-"

"Hunderford," Severus growled. "What did the owner tell you?"

"About an unusual curse he sold to someone a few years ago. Apparently, the man carried a lot of guilt with him. He was threatened to make a powerful curse; one which he felt was too powerful to be released to an unstable wizard, but they beat him and forced him into making it."

"Did he give you any specific details?" Potter asked.

"He said something about the curse being influential…" Sam trailed off and regarded Severus with curious eyes. "I'm already aware that the curse has someone trapped your wife inside her mind, and she's now just a shell of her once precious self, but this curse also affects those around her. Specifically—according to the old man—the husband of the intended victim."

"What does that mean-" Severus waved his hand to shut Potter up and stared at Sam eagerly.

"It means that someone paid the man to create a curse that would give off a deterrent effect on anyone who gets suspicious. It creates doubt and an uncomfortable feeling around the cursed person. The curse is incredibly distinct and unique. I've never heard of anything like it, which means it's one of a kind. It also means that the man has no idea how to reverse it."

Severus thumped his fist against the table making them all jump. James, however, continued to dribble all over Potter's shirt. He was angry, and he'd just about had enough for today, but he couldn't begin to imagine how tired Hermione was right now.

"I know this is a lot to take in," Draco said. "But, we'll figure something out. We know that my father must have Ron. We just need to get inside the manor."

"I went today," Severus grumbled then rubbed his hand over his face.

"You went?" Potter retorted.

"That's what I just said," He hissed back. "I went inside and had a little chat with Lucius. The man hinted at things, and just when I thought he would never break, I heard a child laughing."

"What?" Draco looked at him dumbfounded. "A-A child?"

"It was definitely a child laughing. Lucius lashed out and ordered me to get out. Whoever the child is, he apparently doesn't want anyone to know about it."

"Why does your father have a child?" Potter asked.

"How would I know? He doesn't speak to me," Draco scratched his head and sighed.

Severus stared at James as he slept soundly. There was no fondness in his gaze, just bewilderment. Who's child was it? Had Lucius gone as far as abducting a child? He didn't know what the man was capable of anymore, but he obviously didn't want anyone knowing about the child.

"I think it's about time we get the Ministry involved," Potter said, and Severus scoffed.

"Do you really believe that they'll help? Look at how hard they're trying to find Weasley," He snarled sarcastically.

"I feel like I need to state the obvious here," Sam hesitantly leaned forward. "Snape is pardoned since the curse is affecting him right now as we speak, but you two sure are stupid."

"Thank you for the insult," Potter muttered.

"Why are we stupid?" Draco asked.

"Did you see the child?"

"No," Severus said. "I only heard him, but his voice sounded young. His tone was similar to James'."

"That would place him around little James' age," Sam eyed up the young boy. "Now, we know that Lucius is somehow involved in all of this, so if you pull apart all the information that we have, then it becomes obvious. Snape, what are the chances that Hermione was pregnant?"

And there it was. Severus hadn't been taken by surprise many times in his life, but hearing the words come from Sam's mouth without a doubt would've knocked him off his feet had he been standing.

He stared and stared, never moving to blink. It was evident on his face that his mind had drawn up a blank.

 _Pregnant?_

Could she have been pregnant?

Then it all came rushing to him at once. Hermione's giddy manner a week before Valentine's Day. Her frequent trips to London. Her odd cravings for bacon, and her sensitive body. It was like the fog had cleared in his mind and he could finally breathe in the idea of her.

 _Buggering shit._

He was right. She had been pregnant. With his child. Once again, Severus was taken by surprise by a rather frightening thought.

He'd just walked away from his child.


	15. Chapter 15

_AN:/ Hello! Here is a very quick chapter for you, and as you'll be able to tell the next chapter will be the BIG chapter. I reread through my plan and decided just to throw everything together instead of making you wait a few more chapters! Thank you very much to the following people for reviewing,_ _stingray2185, josiegrossie, Nastytashy, Paladium, I'mSevLover, Blue night fairy, GoForHerBlood, Slytherinvillain7, juliany reis, Zedoc, WizardSmurf, ndavis77 and Guest. Enjoy what you can from this chapter!_

 ** _Song: RHODES - Somebody._**

* * *

 _Chapter 15: Tomorrow._

Minerva stared at him blankly. He waited for her to open her mouth and say something, but nothing came. He didn't know whether it was the right thing to do, however telling her everything in one go may have been too much.

As much as the troublesome old witch liked to meddle, she was still his friend, and she'd been there for him when he needed her. It was still a lot for him to comprehend and he found himself slightly amused that he had shocked her into silence.

"W-What will you do?" She spluttered out pushing her cup of tea away.

"I have yet to think about it. Minerva, I want to storm back in there and kill him."

"At least you're honest," She muttered as she brought the cup to her lips.

"I have a child...I couldn't tell if they were male or female; it's hard to tell at a young age from the voice, but now I get it. The full body glamour must be hiding something—stretch marks, she must have them—it may not be the only thing that it's hiding, but I would've immediately known if I'd seen them."

"Severus...I feel I must remind you of something. You mentioned that this Samuel said that the curse had a deterrent aspect to it, I will not allow you to think that you can use that as an excuse-"

"I would do no such thing!" He snarled. "Minerva, I know what deterrence is. It means that it creates a seed of doubt to put inside your mind. It means that whenever I thought that there must be something wrong with her, the curse would make me second guess it and assume the worst thing could have happened—that she didn't love me at all."

"I only needed to know," She said. "We must find a way to get to your child safely."

"She reacted oddly when she saw James for the first time. I guess that it was her first time seeing anyone that age, so it caused the real Hermione to react-" Severus scowled at the smile on Minerva's face. "What?"

"I'm glad that you can say her name again," She whispered. "Have you spoken to Albus?"

"I will tell him, but this is something I must do on my own."

"Surely Harry will insist on helping," She glanced at the clock on the wall and he saw that it was time for her to leave. "I best get everyone ready for the Hogsmeade trip. Are you sure you don't want to come?"

Severus shook his head and got to his feet. "Enjoy the trip," He left Minerva's office and stalked down the halls. When he walked around the corner he saw Hermione leaning against the wall, she was supposed to be going on the trip, but the agony on her face made him think otherwise.

Ever so slowly, he approached her. She was hunched over and gritting her teeth as if she couldn't breathe properly. Severus unintentionally placed his hand on her elbow, and she hissed in pain and stared at him wildly.

"Don't touch me ever again, you foul man!" Her voice was shrill, and he pinned her with a look.

The pain she had been in seemed to flee her body, and she turned up her nose and walked away. He followed her with longing in his eyes, then sighed as he headed towards his quarters.

…

The cruel blond man grabbed his arm roughly and pulled the hood of his cloak back over his hair. Erik yelped in fright and struggled to keep up with the fast pace the man was walking at. He'd never seen this man before, and his unfamiliarity made him want his mother.

He'd longed to go outside, but his mum told him that he wasn't allowed to until he grows up to be a big boy, so he was doing his best to grow up quickly. However, he wanted his mummy to be here when he first stepped outside, but she wasn't here.

There were a lot of people barging into them, but the man didn't care that he was gurgling at him to stop.

"I wanna' see my mummy," He babbled, and the man's grip tightened as he stared down at him.

"You won't be seeing her for a long time."

"What d'ya mean? Where's my mummy?!" He stomped his feet, and the man growled before turning to walk again.

Outside of The Three Broomsticks stood Minerva McGonagall. She glanced down the empty street as the rain started to fall. Most of the students were inside and buying something warm to drink and eat, but she stood in the rainfall to double check that everyone was inside.

A few people scurried to find shelter, but none of them belonged to Hogwarts. Movement caught her eye, and two people came to a stop at the end of the pavement. They were both cloaked; it appeared to be because of the rain. However, the young boys hood fell off, and Minerva's eyes widened at the sight of the child.

The resemblance was uncanny. Minerva managed to slip into a small gap to hide, then she cast her Patronus to fetch Albus and Severus. It didn't take long for them to arrive.

Severus approached Minerva with Albus by his side. The rain didn't cease, and the area was occupied by the two people Minerva had contacted them about. He recognised the man—vaguely—he'd seen him around in the Auror Department and thought nothing of it.

But, that wasn't what had stilled Minerva. He wasn't the reason Severus' body became a deadweight. Even after all his years as a spy, his mind was not quick to process what he saw because the probability that it was true was unlikely. Or was it?

The Auror had his hand clasped roughly around the young boy's wrist; he had to be around four, maybe just a bit younger. The boy who was taking most of the scrutiny had a thick mop of straight black hair. His eyes matched his hair colour, and a few hairs covered his chubby face and his tiny hooked nose. He looked too scrawny for such a young boy; much like Severus had been at that age. His frame was narrow, and his legs seemed longer than his torso.

While he was taking all this in, it was yet to click. That was until Minerva opened her mouth.

"Doesn't that boy...look a lot like...you," She turned to Severus with wide eyes and the moment she made the comparison, his wand hand flew up along with Albus' and Minerva's. The Auror blinked then pushed the boy behind him.

"What is this all about?" He asked. "Am I not allowed to take my son for a walk?"

The boy looked up at the Auror confused, then he rubbed at his eye with his fist.

"Can I see mummy now?" A smile grew on his face, and he looked up at the man.

"Keep quiet," The man nudged him with his foot, and the young boy's lip poked out like he was ready to cry.

"You were once friends with Lucius Malfoy," Albus said. "I'm terribly sorry, but that child looks nothing like you. Where's his mother?"

"How rude! What I do with my son is none of your business!"

Severus barely paid any attention to the man. The grip on his heart tightened at the possibility that he was staring at his...son? It was the only thing that made sense. The boy looked too much like him for it not to make sense.

 _Hermione. Where's Hermione?_

There was a wetness against his cheek, and he quickly reached up to wipe away what he thought was rain droplets, but the saltiness of tears touched his lips.

The young boy stepped out from behind the man's legs and eyed the three of them up. His eyes stopped on Severus and curiosity crossed his features. It was then that the door to The Three Broomsticks opened and out stepped Hermione and Hunderford. Severus didn't lower his wand, but he raked his eyes over her as she took in the scene around her. He saw the moment her eyes landed on the boy.

"Mummy!"

A scream tore from her lips, and she moved quickly, but not quick enough. Hunderford laced his arm around her waist; before Severus could point his wand at the bastard, he'd apparated away with her. Then another pop echoed around, and Severus whirled back around to see that the man was no longer standing there. His son was gone.

An odd feeling settled on his shoulders, and a thought pushed its way into his mind. Determination soon followed, and he glanced at Minerva and Albus confidently.

There was no point in hindering the rescue anymore. Tomorrow. Everything will come to an end tomorrow.


	16. Chapter 16

_AN:/ Now, I'm just going to drop this right here for you and now run away!_

 _Thank you to I'mSevLover, Paladium, Bell, TequilaNervous, josiegrossie, Slytherinvillain7, juliany reis, GoForHerBlood, Sadonne, WizardSmurf, Zedoc, and Guests for reviewing._

 ** _Song: Tedy - Can I (it's an amazing song so check it out!)_**

* * *

 _Chapter 16: Lifeless._

Severus stormed into the kitchen of Grimmauld Place startling the young family while they ate their dinner. James immediately pointed and laughed at him not sensing the anger that radiated off him. Draco was first to his feet, and he walked over.

"What's wrong?" He asked cautiously, and Severus pulled back a chair and sat down.

"I'm only going to ask you this once so make up your minds quickly. Tomorrow I'm going back to Malfoy Manor, and the only way I'm coming back out is with Hermione and my son or dead."

"Well that's a lovely topic for the dinner table," Potter muttered. "What's going on?"

"We all hesitated—I hesitated!" He snarled.

"Severus?" Draco urged him to continue.

"Minerva called me to Hogsmeade when she saw a young boy who looked identical to me. One of Lucius' Auror friends were dragging him through the rain, and I was too busy processing what was in front of me! Hermione came out of The Three Broomsticks with Hunderford, and I hesitated—I was too focused on them, and he apparated away with her! Then before I could move, that imbecile apparated somewhere with my son!"

"You want to do this tomorrow?"

"That's what I just said, Potter," He hissed and resisted the urge to punch something.

"Well, what's your plan then?" Draco questioned. "You can't just walk in there and curse him to kingdom come."

"Yes I bloody can!" He snapped, and James giggled. "Control your child."

"You have a son now, Severus. You can't lash out at him all the time," Draco sat back down and glared at him.

"I don't need to be lectured by you! Are you two dunderheads going to help me or not?"

"Ask nicely."

Severus got to his feet and narrowed his eyes at Draco. "Need I remind you that this is your father we're dealing with. Your flesh and blood have kidnapped both of your husband's friends—how about you use your brain and talk some sense to him."

Draco clenched his jaw.

"Don't try and blackmail him!" Potter shouted, and Severus turned his thunderous eyes to him.

"And how about you? Do you think that she'll welcome you with open arms? She's going to be furious that you believed her capable of doing such cruel things!"

"What about you?! You're her husband—was her husband—and you let her go within seconds of her asking for a divorce. If you loved her so much, you would've got on your knees and begged her not to leave you!"

"What an odd discussion to have over dinner," They turned to look at Sam who stood in the doorway in blue silk robes. "Good Evening."

"What are you doing here?" Severus growled.

"I'm here to help. Sit your handsome arse down so I can talk," Sam sat down, and Severus pulled out his wand to hex him, but Draco hit his arm away.

"Sit down," He growled.

Severus reluctantly sat down and saw that James was grinning at him like an idiot. "What?"

"Scary!" James lept onto Potter's lap and hid his face into his neck.

"Please refrain from scaring my son again," Potter hissed.

"Now that you've all finished talking; I've discovered a way to break the curse," He said, and they stared at him blankly. "Don't all rush to thank me at once."

"How?" Severus asked.

"It's simple. We have to take it off her. There must be a restraint involved that stops Hermione taking it off herself, so we need to get close enough to remove it and destroy the ring."

"It can't be that easy. This is my father we're talking about," Draco said.

"The man who created the curse has taken a mysterious holiday all of a sudden. I spoke to a few people around Knockturn Alley, and they said that the ring would have to be taken from her and destroyed. The tricky part is to get someone close enough to remove it because I'm sure this thing that has taken over her body will fight like hell to stop whoever it is."

"What if that's not the case?" Potter wondered.

"It's the only useful information with have," Severus muttered. "I'll do it."

"He won't let you back inside!" Draco exclaimed.

"I can handle taking down the wards!"

"Severus, we need a plan," He whispered, and Severus grumbled in response.

"The element of surprise can cause any wizard to hesitate," Sam smirked. "Your father believes himself to be untouchable because of his wards. He has been living in comfort for years now; imagine the shock when he realises someone has destroyed his wards. He'll panic and start acting irrationally."

"What if his irrational actions end up hurting Hermione," Potter said.

"It's a possibility, but aren't we at the stage where we have to take risks. Your friend Ronald is obviously in there, and I doubt he's dead because Lucius would've ditched his body for someone to find."

"Then it's settled," Severus grunted. "Tomorrow morning. Early preferably."

"How early?" Potter asked.

"I'm thinking around four o'clock in the morning. He'll be sleeping, and I doubt he has Hunderford and his pet Auror patrolling the manor. He believes himself to be safe," Severus finished his explanation with a sigh then looked at them. "Are you going to help?"

"I thought you said you'd only ask once-"

"Harry!" Draco shouted.

"Sorry," He mumbled and adjusted James in his arms. "We'll be there."

"I'd offer to help, but I don't work that early in the morning," Sam got to his feet and straightened out his robes. "I think I deserve to stay out of this since I've helped you so much."

"You can admit that you're scared," Draco said.

"Never," Sam left the kitchen, and they heard him leave through the floo network.

…

Lucius threw Hermione into the room, and her bloody body landed on the floor with a thud. The door shut behind her loudly and the sound of Erik crying filled her ears. A bony hand nudged her gently, and her eyes fluttered open to see Rima looking down at her.

"Are you okay Miss Hermione?" She allowed Rima to help her sit up then Erik jumped down from the bed and threw himself into her arms.

Hermione cried out in pain as his body touched her bruised ribs. She pulled away to check him over and sighed in relief when she saw him unhurt. However, it wasn't safe to say the same about her. There was a cut on her forehead which blood poured out from, and there was a terrible pain coming from her left shoulder, but she continued to check him over.

"What happened? Sweetie, do you remember anything that was said to you?" His bottom lip began to quiver and a tightness formed around her heart.

"The man said I weren't allowed to see you for a long time...mummy, I'm scared," She hushed him softly and kissed his forehead.

"Let Rima help with your injuries Miss," Hermione glanced at Rima and smiled at her in thanks, but before she could move to get up off the floor, the door slammed open. Erik screamed in fright and Hermione immediately pulled him back into her arms as she stared down Lucius and Hunderford. She couldn't see any sign of the Auror.

"What do you want?" Hermione tried to keep her voice stable, but it was hard to stop the pain from coming through her words.

"Right now, your pathetic friends are sneaking into my dungeon," Lucius growled, waving his wand in the air. "They've taken down my wards, and now I cannot put them back up. I guess they think they're smart going after the weasel first—he is the only person they'll be leaving with on this happy morning."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but Lucius flicked his wrist, and all the lights were blown out submerging the Manor in darkness. Fear rocked her body, and the blanket of darkness made her survival instincts kick in. She tried to move backwards keeping Rima and Erik close, but someone said ' _Lumos'_ and the small light made her blink and she missed the quick advancement of Hunderford.

He made a grab for Erik who cried hysterically, and she let out a scream of protest and held him tight. "No!" She screeched, then Lucius swung his cane against her face blurring her vision as she loosened her hold on Erik and was forced down onto the carpet by Lucius' foot on her damaged shoulder.

Hermione bucked beneath him and started screaming; she caught a glimpse of Erik as Hunderford carried him into the darkness. "Please! Don't do this! Let me go! He's just a child, p-please, I'm begging you."

"Begging will get you nowhere, Mudblood," He put most of his weight on her shoulder and her body flooded with a hot searing pain.

"Stop!" She screamed, and the light emanating from his wand illuminated his sinister smile.

"Get out of here!" He yelled at Rima who stared at Hermione with watery eyes then apparated away with a pop. Hermione glared at him through hazy eyes. Blood poured from her shoulder and head; she was more than certain she had a few broken ribs, so she tried her best to calm her breathing down. The last thing she wanted was to damage one of her lungs.

Lucius moved his foot onto her throat. The pressure was light, but it still installed the fear that he could easily destroy her throat if he decided to slam his foot down.

"Why?" She whimpered through her trembling lips. "Why are you doing this to me?" She sobbed. "T-To Severus...my son..."

Lucius laughed. "Are you forgetting Snape is a Death Eater. Why is it fair that he gets to live his life freely? Marry a filthy Mudblood whore—have a child! While I rot inside this Manor? I decided that I can't be the only one to suffer the cruel ways this world has to offer. Also, it made it easier that you and Snape were lovers; I'd never pass up an opportunity to cause him pain."

Hermione sobbed and tried to push his leather-clad foot off her throat, but he only applied more pressure causing her to gasp for air.

"He'll be devastated if he lost you," Lucius said. "And he _will_ be losing you tonight. Your death will destroy him, but even then, he'll still have to keep on living because I'll have his son. The only thing left that could remind him of you."

"You're sick," Her voice was hoarse.

"I've been trying to think how to kill you...I've always loved theatrics, so I'm going to leave it up to fate to decide. You see, they must have come in here with a plan. Draco no doubt showed them the secret entrance into the dungeons so the first part of their plan would be to rescue Weasley."

"It got me thinking that Severus may know a lot more about your curse by now, but one thing he doesn't know is that you'll die if anyone was to remove your necklace," He laughed. "I'd bet all my wealth on that being his plan. He'll wish to destroy the very thing that is causing you pain, but he won't want to cast the spell while it still hangs from your neck...let's just see what he has in store for us."

The light faded out, and Lucius removed his foot from her neck. She heard him walk out of the room and she cried out in agony. Hermione tried her best to push herself up onto her knees, but her arms couldn't support her weight. There was nothing she could do to help herself because she couldn't use magic when she was inside the manor. It was the only thing that the ring did to her when she was inside.

Hermione spat the blood from her mouth and dragged herself across the carpet until she reached the bed. She held on tight to the mattress and gritted her teeth through the pain as she struggled to her feet.

Suddenly, loud voices echoed around, and Hermione heard familiar voices throwing curses at one another. Different voices came from the open window, and Hermione staggered through the darkness until the morning breeze struck her skin and she could see the distant sun starting to rise. She looked out of the window and whimpered when she saw Hunderford carrying a screaming Erik over his shoulder.

Her wet eyes focused on the ring hanging around her neck. She didn't know if Lucius was lying, whether it was a way to trick her into keeping the necklace on. Could this ring kill her if it was taken off? If Severus wanted to take it off, she'd beg him not to and tell him that she'd die otherwise, and it was a twisted way to stop the curse from being broken.

Hermione hated to think that there was a possibility that she'd had the power to stop this a long time ago—was she right?

 _Erik. I have to save my son!_

A flurry of black robes flew from the back door, and Hermione yelled out her surprise as she watched Severus race across the garden. Hunderford whirled around and pulled out his wand, but Severus was quicker and sent his wand flying across the grass. Hermione rested her forehead against the glass and tried to listen to what they were saying, but their voices were incredibly quiet, and she knew too well that Severus was only quiet when he was very angry.

She clamped her eyes shut and willed her body to fight off the hot pain that rocked her bones. He was here to save her. Merlin, she was furious with him, but she just wanted to hug him, kiss him, know what it felt like to hold their son while he embraced them. She cried helplessly as she watched Severus try to figure out a way to hurt Hunderford without causing harm to their child. She knew she couldn't call out to him because the last thing she wanted to do was distract him and let Hunderford sneak away.

"I've changed my mind," Lucius' slimy hand latched onto her hair, and her scream flew through the open window as she landed on the floor. "I don't care for theatrics," He was seething with anger as he wrapped his hand around her neck. "When you step outside, you'll head towards Hunderford and stand with him. If your son cries for you tell him to shut up, then I'll be standing in the doorway, and while Severus has his back to me I'm going to throw the killing curse at him—do you want to know what you're going to do?" He throttled her violently. "You will throw your filthy, Mudblood, body in front of him and take it."

…

Severus heard the scream coming from an open window, his body twitched to turn and have a look, but he was locked in a staring match with Hunderford. He couldn't allow his son to slip away again. His heart was breaking at the sound of his cries, and he only wished to take him into his arms and tell him everything was going to be okay.

Things had started off smoothly. Draco remembered his father telling him of a secret entrance which led to the dungeons; it had been easy to find after they disabled the wards. They'd soon forced open one of the doors and discovered a malnourished Weasley who looked like he'd been fed breadcrumbs throughout his whole kidnapping. Draco had ordered Potter to take him to St Mungo's immediately, but both of them protested.

A small argument broke out between the three until Severus reminded them that they didn't have time to bicker. Potter soon left the dungeons with Weasley's arm wrapped over his shoulder. It had left Draco and Severus to defend themselves. The blond Auror who had been in Hogsmeade with his son appeared from the shadows and challenged them to a fight.

It was then that all the lights went out and all hell broke loose. Severus had to admit that the blond git knew how to handle himself in a fight and it didn't help that another person—presumably Lucius—had joined in, but it was hard to see through the darkness.

Thankfully, they managed to disarm the rogue Auror, and Severus allowed Draco to deal with him while he went in search of Lucius who had disappeared after they'd struck his accomplice. Severus started to hear cries coming from upstairs, and his heart had shattered because he knew who it was making the noises. Had he missed something?

It was then that he heard another scream, and he recognised the voice of his son. Severus forgot about hunting down Lucius and chased after the cry, and it was where he was now. Trying to figure out how to get his son away from the greasy bastard.

"He cries too much," Hunderford laughed jostling the boy roughly, and he cried out in protest. "Your daddy's here to save you," His voice resembled a child's, and he poked out his bottom lip.

"D-Daddy?" He whimpered in response, and Severus' stomach knotted because he couldn't see his face.

"Do you know his name?" Hunderford tilted his head to the side and regarded him with dull eyes. "Erik Severus Snape is what she decided to call him...I think it's a shit name."

Erik Severus Snape. She'd named their son after him.

"How about you hand him over to me, and I won't kill you," It was a lie. Severus was going to enjoy killing him.

"I'm not stupid," He growled back. "I'm much safer with little Erik over my shoulder."

A high-pitched laugh came from behind him and Severus' eyes caught onto movement as Hermione walked past him and stood next to Hunderford. "There he is. The light of my life," She giggled wickedly.

Her skin was perfectly glamoured, and there was no trace of her tears. It had definitely been her he'd heard crying. He needed to get that necklace off her. His perplexed look caused Hunderford to laugh.

"You still don't know, do you?" He looked at Hermione, and they both continued to laugh. "When she's inside the manor, she goes back to normal, but when she's outside the curse takes control."

"He's right," Hermione said. "Right now, your pathetic wife is trying to get me to leave her body."

"M-Mummy," Erik whispered.

"Shut up!" She snapped, and the boy jumped in fright and started to cry loudly. Severus' jaw clenched, and his wand almost moved towards her. He saw her face freeze, and her left eye twitched; he knew that the real her was fighting against her mind. He mentally urged her to keep going but kept his eyes focused on Hunderford.

Suddenly, an imaginary force caused her to stumble forward a little and lean over in pain. Hunderford's eyes widened, and his grip tightened around Erik's legs. "What's going on?"

"Nothing!" Hermione shouted, and she stood up straight with her jaw clenched.

"I'm going to give you one more chance!" Severus yelled. "Give him to me!"

"I don't think I can do that," Hunderford laughed, and Severus opened his mouth to throw a binding spell at him when the ring around Hermione's neck started to glow green.

Then everything began to happen in slow motion.

Hermione ran the few strides towards him, and as he turned to look where she was running to, a blinding light slammed into her chest sending her flying back into his own. They fell to the ground in a heap of robes, and the only difference between them now was that he moved to sit up, only to stare in horror at her lifeless body in his arms.

* * *

 **AN:/ Go easy on me please :D I'm half way through writing the next one!**


	17. Chapter 17

_AN:/ Hello! I'm glad you didn't hate me for the last chapter, but most of you already guessed that all would be well. This chapter was actually cut from the last one as I didn't originally plan to leave it on a cliffhanger, but I did to leave you in suspense because I'm cruel :D HUGE thank you to the following people for reviewing, Glass-NotCannon, Nastytashy, I'mSevLover, Blue night fairy, Angelusica, Paladium, TequilaNervous, WizardSmurf, josiegrossie, Hermionewins, Slytherinvillain7, Azael-Ruthven, ndavis77, juliany reis, roon0, and Guest. Enjoy this chapter!_

 ** _Song: Tedy - Lost & Found. _**

* * *

_Chapter 17: Promise._

Hermione sat down in one of the empty seats at the back, and she listened to the harp music that danced through the summer breeze. The chairs were laid out in rows of four, and people started to settle down into silence. She recognised some familiar faces: Luna, Neville, Ron, Harry, Draco, Minerva, Albus, and most of the teaching staff from Hogwarts.

The meadow had been scouted out by Harry, and he'd chosen it as his wedding venue a few months before this day. She saw the newlyweds smiling at one another as if remembering their special day.

Hermione remembered it clearly and recalled feeling nervous about her upcoming day. Not everyone got to say they were content with life, but today is the moment she can say that.

Severus stood before the Minister, and a floral arch stood tall behind him. Dusty pink and white petals fluttered along the short grass and served well as an aisle for her to walk down.

 _ **"No...no...no..."**_ The voice sounded pained, and an odd sadness settled over her shoulders.

Hermione turned in time to see herself step from the trees and out into the meadow. It had been a difficult choice to decide to walk down the aisle on her own; it was against modern standards, but her father was no longer around to give her away.

She wore a knee-length white dress and an array of flowers nestled in her hair. She resembled a forest nymph, and her beaming smile seemed to spread her happiness to everyone around.

Severus turned his body to face her, and the real Hermione smiled at the astonished look on his face. The fine lines faded away, and his permanent scowl flattened out to reveal a sheepish smile.

 _ **"Hermione, wake up..."**_ She heard the sob that followed, but she chose to ignore it. This memory was precious to her, and she wanted to relive it one more time.

Severus held out his hand for her to take and they both grinned as they turned to face each other before the Minister. She watched as Ron turned to whisper something to Harry and they both gave her memory-self a radiant smile—they looked terribly proud of her.

" _ **Mummy!"**_ Hermione flinched but didn't take her eyes off the happy memory before her.

The Minister began to read from his scriptures, and she watched herself blush a beautiful pink unable to wipe the smile from her face. She remembered the moments before her wedding very well—Harry had pushed a shot of firewhiskey into her hands while she was getting ready to help ease her nerves, and it had gone straight to her head.

Hermione's heart started to cry out in pain as the wind picked up; she knew that she needed to fight to get back, but she was too content with being stuck in this memory.

" _ **Mummy...you can't sleep now Mummy,"**_ She could sense the tears, and her eyes started to leak.

Severus didn't want to share vows; he'd made them in a more private setting later on, so they stuck with the generic ones in front of an audience. Hermione watched as he leaned down to place a chaste kiss to her lips, but she immediately clung to him giggling and put on a show for the applauding crowd. When they pulled apart, he grumbled something to her, and she kissed the embarrassment from his cheek.

The real Hermione started to clap slowly with a hiccuped sob, then a rush of voices filled her ears as she watched herself walk back down the aisle wrapped around Severus' arm.

" _ **I'm sorry...I'm so sorry."**_

" _ **...why isn't she waking up?"**_

" _ **I-I'm sorry...I...love you so much…"**_

Hermione's breath hitched in the back of her throat as an intense pain exploded through her body.

 _~0~0~0~_

Severus carefully turned her in his arms, unaware of the wetness forming in his eyes. Her head fell backwards giving him a chance to take a look at what the glamour had been covering.

Blood seeped through a cut on her head, and droplets of crimson fell from the corner of her mouth. A horrific bruise peeped out from her dishevelled robes, and he spotted one of the many scars he'd grown accustomed to on her body.

Her skin was a deathly pale shade, and it was the slight shift in colour of her lips that caused him to panic. There was no movement coming from her chest, and he realised his body was shaking.

"No..." His breath hitched in the back of his throat, and he frantically lowered his ear to her parted lips; he couldn't feel her breath. "No...no...no..." His words started to become louder as he repeated it over and over again. "Hermione, wake up." It came out as a strangled sob.

"Mummy!" Erik screamed, and a fiery blast echoed around, and Hunderford collapsed onto the grass unconscious. Erik landed awkwardly on top of him then scurried over to where Severus sat bundling Hermione against his chest.

"Mummy...you can't sleep now, mummy..." Severus watched his son push against Hermione's chest urging her to wake up. "D'ya gotta sleep here? Can I stay here with you?"

A dizzy spell fell over him, and he suddenly realised that he wasn't taking in any oxygen. He inhaled sharply and gripped her tighter.

"Look mummy I'm outside...never been out here before with you, mum?" His small pale hands tapped at her hollow face.

Severus reached out his trembling hand to move some of her hair away from her face. He couldn't see her eyes—he wanted to see her eyes one last time.

Severus let out a deep cry, and he pressed her up against his chest and buried his nose into her hair. He held her tight and let the sobs pour from his mouth. He kept mumbling "no," over and over again, but he knew it wouldn't bring her back.

She's dead.

"Get off!" The young boy wailed and tried to pry Severus' hands off her.

Severus pulled his face away and stared at his son with tears falling down his face. This couldn't be happening. Merlin, he'd failed her. Take him, not her. She didn't deserve to die this way—they were meant to grow old together, with their son.

"Hermione..." He cried into her neck. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry."

"Is my mummy okay? Rima can help her...why isn't she waking up?" He started to cry hysterically. "Mummy!" Severus' head flew in his direction, and he took in the sight of his tight fists and quivering lip. He wished to comfort him, but he knew the boy wouldn't come to him willingly. He didn't know what to do.

"I-I'm sorry...I...love you so much," A grumble resonated deep within his chest and he pressed his forehead to hers.

 _"Stupefy!"_ Severus looked up quickly as the horrendous screech from an alarm rent the air, and within seconds, Aurors apparated into the area. Draco was standing in the doorway with his wand held in his trembling hand. Lucius had been thrown over the threshold and lay on the grass in a heap of blond hair.

A sudden dilemma hit him, Merlin knows he didn't want to let her go, but he also wanted to reach Lucius before the Aurors got him. He gave her pale face one more lingering look then gently lowered her back onto the grass. His wand flew into his hand, and he swept Erik up into his arms; no matter how much he kicked and screamed, Severus didn't let him go. He stormed across the garden just as Draco ran over and quickly took Erik from him.

An Auror walked over, but Severus' eyes were alight with fury, and he retreated a few steps. Lucius began to wake up and the moment he opened his eyes Severus slammed his foot down on his chest, and a deep cracking noise caused the blond to cry out.

Severus pointed his wand at his face and stared down at him blankly. He didn't care that tears were falling from his eyes, he didn't care that it would satisfy Lucius; the only thing he wanted was to kill him—yet he couldn't.

The revenge wouldn't be sweet, it would land him in Azkaban, and his son would be without both parents. Severus inhaled sharply then got down on one knee and roughly grabbed his neck.

"I'm going to give you some advice," He hissed. "It would be in your best interest not to pay your way out of Azkaban this time. If you do, I will kill you, and that's a fuckin' promise," His voice didn't waver, and Lucius smirked in response. Severus punched him in the face and heard his nose break beneath his knuckles, then got to his feet.

"Take him," Severus growled, and four Auror's cuffed his weak body and took him away.

He registered the sound of two more people apparating into the area but continued to stare mindlessly at the grass. His body was shaking, but his face was passive.

"Hermione!" Potter shouted, and he listened to the commotion behind him but didn't turn to look at them. He couldn't look at her like that. Erik had stopped screaming; however tiny whimpers came from his small body.

Suddenly, someone started to tug on his sleeve; he lowered his eyes to stare at the timid house-elf he'd met the first time he came to the manor. Her big watery eyes beamed at him taking Severus by surprise.

"Rima, my Mummy…" Erik cried and tried to wriggle free from Draco's arms.

"Mistress Hermione's necklace sir," Her voice was unstable. "It broke her ring, Mr Snape."

Severus' face flooded with emotion and he turned quickly to see Potter crying over her. He raced across and shoved Potter out of the way. He grabbed ahold of the chain and caught sight of the ring hanging from it.

The curse had burnt her wedding ring.

Potter started shouting at him for pushing him out of the way, but Severus ignored his yells and rushed towards her mouth. His cheek was close to touching her lips, and he waited and waited for a sign, then he felt it. The faintest puff of air came from her bloody mouth.

"Thank the Gods!" Severus' voice boomed through the garden, and he bundled her against his chest and got to his shaking legs.

"What are you doing?!" Potter got to his feet.

"She's still alive Potter!" He snarled back then pushed through the Auror's and headed towards Draco who had been trying to shield Erik from the sight of his mother. "Follow me to St Mungo's," He disapparated knowing Draco had heard him.


	18. Chapter 18

_AN:/ Hello people! I have two updates for you today - the next chapter will be following shortly - I hope you enjoy this one as much as you can and I'm doing my best to row through the upcoming angst, but never fear! Our lovely couple will make it through eventually! A huge thanks to the following people for reviewing, SevLover, roon0, Nastytashy, josiegrossie, GoForHerBlood (I love all of your questions :D I'll get there eventually), Slytherinvillain7, TequilaNervous, Angelusica, Hermionewins, Blue night fairy, Glass-NotCannon, juliany reis, WizardSmurf, Paladium, ndavis77, and Guests! Enjoy!_

 ** _Song: Gabrielle Aplin - Home._**

* * *

 _Chapter 18: Home._

He wasn't sure where to go from here.

A lot was running through his mind, but his main thought was ' _what do I say to her when she wakes up?'_ The healer had announced that she was going to be fine; her recovery will be long, but Severus didn't expect any less. They said she could wake up any minute as she'd been given a handful of potions to aid her.

The cut on her face was now clean and left behind was a faint scar. She had broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder. They'd asked Severus to go while they checked her over, but he refused to leave her side and stayed in his seat to watch.

Her ruined wedding ring lay on the bedside table, and his eyes occasionally wandered in its direction. Would she want to remarry him? The thought was chilling because he wouldn't blame her if she didn't wish to look upon him ever again.

Auror's had been in to investigate, and he allowed them to take some of his memories so they could piece the events together. Lucius would be going away for a long time thanks to his and Draco's memories; however, Hunderford was not. He's in custody for the time being, but Severus nor Draco had witnessed him doing anything that would hold up in court.

 _They need Hermione to confirm his involvement_. The Auror's didn't deem it enough that Severus had witnessed him trying to kidnap his son, and telling him his knowledge of the curse. _Hermione can confirm everything._

Severus sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. It was around midnight bringing it closer to being a full day since the incident. He was yet to sleep, but he doubted he would for a while. There was a lot he needed to do, however, he didn't move to do anything. He wanted to stay with her.

Draco had visited for a few minutes to tell him that Erik had fallen asleep when he brought him over, so they were letting him rest in the ward Weasley was being kept in. He didn't argue with Draco when he said that it would be better to wait until the boy calmed down properly before seeing his mother again.

How close had he been to losing everything? The thought was harrowing, and Severus sighed loudly. Albus and Minerva came by but Severus refused visitors, so they went to see how Weasley was doing— _he'll make a full recovery, and start to devour every food item around soon enough._

It was a painful waiting game to see what would happen when she woke up; he just hoped that she had it in her heart to forgive him. He'd do anything just to see her smile again.

"Is my Mummy gonna' be okay?" Severus glanced over at the doorway and saw Erik standing there rubbing his eyes. Draco stood behind him and offered Severus a small smile then left.

"She'll wake up soon," His throat was dry, and he found himself befuddled; they were speaking for the first time. Severus was confident that his son had experienced his first burst of magic—there had been no one else around to knock Hunderford unconscious, and it was common for it to happen under extreme emotions.

He hobbled over to the chair Severus occupied, without a care, he climbed up onto his lap and sat down. His body went stiff—he didn't know what to do. The boy was a replica of himself: same hair, eyes, nose, mouth, body shape. It creeped him out slightly.

"Mummy will wake up right?" His dark eyes beamed up at him, and Severus nodded his head. "Good, mummy said that when we can go outside together, she'll take me for ice cream...I've never had it before but mummy said it tastes really really nice so I gotta' try some. Will you come with us? Mummy said that daddies are like mummies, so you gotta' come with us…"

 _He's unquestionably Hermione's son,_ Severus smiled. _Rambling on with no care in the world; yes he may look like me, but I'm glad he acts like her._

"Are you gonna stay with us?" Erik asked innocently. "Mummy always says that she misses daddy so you can't disappear 'cuz it will make her sad."

"I don't plan on going anywhere," Severus said, and the boy grinned.

"When can I see Rima?"

"The house-elf?"

"Yes," He nodded. "She's allowed to stay with us, right?"

"She can stay," He whispered back.

"Yay, thanks!" He squealed in delight then threw himself against Severus' chest. He paused for a moment; a warmth spread around his heart. He felt the overwhelming urge to cry but settled for wrapping his long arms around his tiny son. He nuzzled his nose into his hair and let some of the warm tears fall down his cheeks.

A sob caused him to look over at the bed, and he saw Hermione's eyes open as she stared at them with a pained expression on her face. Erik turned in his arms, and a beautiful smile consumed his lips; he threw himself off Severus' lap and awkwardly jumped up onto the bed and collapsed on top of her. She cried out in pain and Severus stood up to retrieve him, but Hermione adjusted him then embraced him ferociously.

Severus stepped closer to the bed with his jaw clenched. He waited for her to look at him, but her eyes never wandered in his direction. The healer walked into the room and smiled.

"You're awake," She chirped. "He shouldn't be climbing on you-"

"Bugger off," Hermione growled and held him tighter. Severus' eyes widened slightly, and he took in the tense look on her face. "I feel fine," That was a lie, he could tell. Her voice sounded sore, and her body occasionally twitched from the dark magic that had controlled her for so long.

Severus' first task when they released her was to brew more of his potion. He'd created a concoction just after the war that helped him with some of the aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse. He wanted to make sure she took it regularly so they could battle it before things got worse.

"I doubt you're fine Miss Granger," Severus flinched at the use of her real name. Her records had been changed back to what they had been before they married. "We've respected your privacy, so the reporters don't catch wind of it, but the Killing Curse hit you, not a simple stinging jinx. Your body is suffering badly from being under the influence of Dark Magic for so long, which means many side effects will do you more harm than good."

He could see it on Hermione's face that she wasn't listening to the Healer; he could tell she didn't seem to care, and he didn't blame her. _I think she just wants to be with Erik._

"Mummy, are you gonna' take me for ice cream when you feel better?" Erik moved his head from her neck and smiled. Hermione reached out and cupped his cheek.

"Of course, sweetie," She pulled him back down for another hug, but she hissed in pain, and the healer turned to him.

"Remove the child from her," She challenged him with a raised brow, and Severus glanced at Hermione who was content with looking at the ceiling. _She cannot stand the sight of me_.

"They're finally free from four years of captivity; let them have a moment together," He drawled in a tone that he saved for addressing his dunderhead students. "You can wait to examine her."

The healer glared at him then turned on her heel and left, barging into Potter as he stepped into the room with James in his arms.

"Our Nanny just dropped James off, and I thought Erik might want someone to play with," He said timidly then stared at Hermione with watery eyes, but she refused to look at him.

Erik moved out of her arms and stared at James funnily. Severus recalled that this would be the first time his son had seen someone else his age; this is probably the first time he has been around someone that wasn't an adult or a house-elf.

James turned to look at him with a scrunched up nose, then wiggled free from Potter's arms. Erik quickly moved from the bed and latched onto Severus' leg and hid behind him. He stared down at the shy look on his son's face and managed to suppress the smile from growing on his face. Erik glanced up with glassy eyes then tightened his hold when James toddled over with a smile.

"I'm James," He tried to move behind Severus' legs, but Erik jumped and nuzzled his wet face into Severus' trousers. He didn't appreciate being in the middle of this.

Erik peeped through his dark hair as James stepped closer and awkwardly tried to stretch out the pocket on his jeans. "Wanna play with my glitter?" He dug his hand in and pulled out the handful of gold flecks he'd smuggled in his pocket.

Potter opened his mouth to scold his son and his odd fascination with glitter, but Erik loosened his hold on Severus' leg and stepped closer. He curled his fingers around his trousers to stay close to his father, and the others observed as he stared down at the gold for a few seconds then broke out into hysterical laughter.

"What does it do? What does it do?!" He squealed and moved away from Severus and James began to tell him everything he possibly could about glitter.

Severus turned to Hermione and saw the tears streaming down her face. His heart started to swell again, and he stepped up to the bed. She moved her focus back to the ceiling.

"Ron?" She whispered hoarsely.

"He's recovering in one of the wards," Severus said.

"When can I leave?" She responded still not looking at him.

"We can leave once the healer thinks you've recovered well enough, and concludes that we can administer the treatment at home," He explained hopefully.

"Home?" She sobbed.

"Yes, home."


	19. Chapter 19

_Chapter 19: I love you._

Severus was grateful that Minerva was watching over Erik— _my son, I have a son_ —he was yet to process the information fully. All this time she'd been fighting for her life, fighting for their son's life, fighting for his.

Merlin, why wasn't she angry? She still hadn't looked at him since they left St Mungo's. Erik refused to let her go; it had been difficult to pry him off her when they left him with Minerva.

Now here they were. _Home sweet home._ Severus walked over to his desk then turned to look at her.

Some of her natural colour was returning to her cheeks, but she still looked brittle and broken. It pained Severus deeply to see her this way, and it cut him deeper to know she'd been this way all along.

"Hermione-" Her bottom lip started to quiver, and tears welled up in her eyes. He stood up straighter, and prepared to take her in his arms, but she beelined for the bookshelf and threw a large tomb at him. He quickly dodged it but when he looked at her in horror another came flying his way.

"How could you believe I would do that to you?!" She screeched emphasising her hurt by grabbing another book to throw at him. "You still don't believe that anyone can love you, is that it?" She spat angrily. "You should've noticed that something was wrong! The moment I said I didn't love you, you should've known something was wrong!"

Guilt. Shame. Embarrassment. He felt so many different things, but all he could do was dodge everything she threw at him and fight away the wetness forming in his eyes. "Hermione please-"

"Our son," She whimpered. "I bought you a corny muggle mug with number one dad printed on it for Valentine's Day. I was going to give it to you right after I finished in the shop. I...I was practically bouncing off the walls in excitement, but when it happened, and I asked you for a divorce...you..." She choked on her sob. "You looked me in the eyes and accepted it. H-How could you?!" This time the book hit him hard in the chest causing him to stumble back and sit down on his desk. His head fell forward, and he clamped his eyes shut, but the tears started to fall, and his body started to shake.

He did this to her. He should've been fighting with all the strength he had to get her back, but he hadn't. He wallowed away in self-pity and never gave her a second thought. Severus had been waiting throughout their whole relationship for something to go wrong so that he could prove himself right. He wasn't loveable.

"I-I was locked up for two years bringing up _OUR_ son. I had to give birth in a dusty room with the help of a house-elf while Lucius laughed outside the door. It almost killed me; I lost too much blood, I wasn't healthy enough, my environment wasn't sanitary. I didn't have the emotional support that I needed! Yes, I know that this is partially my fault. I should've told you that he was still sending me letters, b-but I loved you enough to spare you the pain! I didn't want you doing anything stupid that would land you in trouble! However, you..." She whimpered, and he finally looked at her trembling body. "You hid away," Her voice broke. "And I needed you, Severus...you bloody coward!"

She inhaled sharply then stalked over to the fireplace and stared down at the flames. He watched her shoulders shake from her sobs, and all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms but knew that it wouldn't make anything better for her.

"Loved?" He responded huskily just as his heart sank.

"Don't take me talking in past tense so literally Severus. You should've learnt your lesson by now...I love you with every fibre of my being, and I sure as hell wouldn't be giving you the time of day right now if I didn't."

Hermione wiped the tears from her cheeks and turned to look at him. The tightness around his heart didn't ease, but he would take that any day over her being a prisoner of her mind.

"I guess it's true when they say you can love and hate someone at the same time...I'm incredibly angry at you Severus. Yet, I hate what I did to you—what that thing that took over my body made you feel," She lowered herself down onto the sofa, so her back was to him. He stared at her mane of hair then took off his robe and sat down in the wing-backed chair next to her.

They settled into an awkward silence, and he glanced at her while she mindlessly cast her eyes upon the fire.

"He made me kill people—innocent people. We'd go to Knockturn Alley, and Hunderford would buy a whore, then I'd kill her. Lucius enjoyed whenever I returned from a killing because I would vomit the moment the curse left my body; it didn't stop him from having his own fun torturing me though. I've got the obvious side effects of the Cruciatus Curse—just like you—tremors of the body, poor appetite, trouble sleeping, migraines, and the list goes on. I'll have to start taking that potion you made for yourself, I know it improved your symptoms a lot, so hopefully, it will do me well."

Severus' knuckles were white from his tight grip on the arms of his chair; however, he continued to observe her carefully.

"Rima the house-elf was my only friend. I wouldn't have made it through the pregnancy if it wasn't for her. She made sure that I ate three meals a day and kept myself hydrated. I guess Lucius was kind enough to grant me some form of company, she responded to me as if I was her mistress, but Lucius still had the upper hand. There were times when I wondered if telling him about my pregnancy was the right thing to do—what a horrific thought for a mother to have, how selfish of me to think that my child would be better off unborn than living his life locked up in a tiny room. However, it didn't stop the thoughts from coming."

"I soon gave birth to a healthy boy, and I was bedridden for two weeks. Lucius told Rima to let me die so he could take Erik, luckily I survived and he soon dropped the idea of taking our son away from me. We were around each other 24/7 for just over a year, then when Erik was OK with being without me for a couple of hours, the outings started, and Lucius gave me the orders to kill those innocent people. Erik...well as you can tell he looks just like you; it got harder as he became older because he reminds me of you all the time. I suppose if he had your temperament it would've nearly killed me to look at him, but he's very much like me when it comes to his personality."

They openly shed their tears silently, and Severus tried to relax his tense body. It made him feel sick to the stomach hearing about the way they treated her; he couldn't begin to imagine what she was feeling right now.

Severus wanted her to get everything off her chest, force all her anger on him and beat him senseless with a book if it helped. However, he did have one question that kept niggling at his brain.

"Hunderford..." He trailed off and watched her stiffen. Severus needed to know; he had to know whether that filthy son of a bitch had touched her, it would almost kill him if he had, but he'd help her get through it.

Hermione sniffled. "It never went beyond kissing; it didn't stop him from trying to take things further, thankfully I always managed to get my cursed-self to react in some way."

More silence fell, but this one was more comfortable. He kept glancing her way to see if she was going to say something else, however she seemed content to just stare at the fire. He took in the sight of her and knew it would take awhile to get her back to her usual self. He wasn't stupid, he knew that she would never go back to being the Hermione he used to know, but it didn't matter, they'd get through this together.

"Where do we go from here?" He asked, and she sighed.

"Bed."

A small smile tugged at his mouth. "I'll arrange for a room to be set up. You and Erik will have to share a bed-"

She laughed, and it almost sounded like the curse had returned to her body. "I knew you would do this—Severus for the love of Circe, if you think I'm going to let you segregate yourself from our son and me, then you've got another thing coming. I have spent too long waking up without you there, and I'll be damned if I'm going to go another day like that. Erik has become accustomed to sharing his bed with me, and he will do so tonight with you there. You've missed out on a lot already, so it's about time you got to know him, then when the time comes, and everything has settled down, he can start sleeping in his own bed, in his own room with a stupid door that doesn't need to have wards! In a place where he's safe and doesn't need to be watched over by a house-elf! Where he doesn't have to jump every time the door opens and expect to see his mother stumbling in covered in blood!"

He deserved it. Every word she said was painful to hear, but she spoke nothing but the truth. He lamely nodded his head, and she stared at him with teary eyes.

Severus could see the exhaustion on her face, and she still hadn't filled out her body. He was going to have to make sure she ate regularly and kept herself hydrated; she may have said she did all those while she was pregnant, but it was evident that it had stopped the moment she gave birth to Erik.

Hermione wiped away her tears then sighed. "What have I missed?"

Severus glanced at the fire and gave it a brief thought. "Harry and Draco adopted a young half-blood."

"That is...amazing," She whispered, but he glanced at her quickly to see the anger on her face.

"They named him James Sirius Potter; he's the boy that was with Potter at St Mungo's, and I think he's around four now, so the same age as Erik," His son's name still felt peculiar on his tongue. It was going to take a lot of getting used to.

"I'm happy for them," She traced a pattern on the arm of the sofa.

"It's OK that you're angry Hermione. No one's going to expect any less from you," He explained and her eyes narrowed at him.

"I have every right to be angry."

"I know," He replied. "Hermione I cannot explain that night to you because I have no idea what I was thinking," The words rushed out of him before he could stop himself.

"I already know why you gave me up so easily," He winced away from her words. "I know you better than anyone else, Severus. Your reasons behind signing those papers are pathetic and are not an excuse for what you did. Maybe if you'd fought for me, then Lucius wouldn't have succeeded."

Severus had expected her to sound malicious when she spoke, but her tone was flat, and she stared at him with an equally matched look on her face.

"I may be angry about that Severus, but what I'm furious about the most is that you didn't get to see our son grow up. You didn't get to hold him in your arms when he was all tiny and pink while wailing at the top of his lungs. You didn't get to see the first time he rolled over, sat up, crawled, and walked. You didn't get to teach him how to say 'daddy,' or any other words. You missed out on everything."

"I have no idea where to go from here, Severus. I may love you, but I'm unsure if I trust you right now…"

Her words settled on his shoulders heavily, and a gruff noise came from his chest. He has never been keen on showing his emotions, but the past few days have been draining on them all. He wished to engulf her in his arms and take her to the bed where it was warm and safe.

"...If…" She clenched her teeth and tried to fight back her pent-up emotions. ""If this had happened to Harry everyone would've solved the case within days, not years. If it were you that turned to me and asked for a divorce, I'd know something was wrong. The same with Ron. Draco. The same for anyone we know!" She yelled. "Do I mean nothing to any of you?!"

Hermione shot to her feet but a hot pain sliced up her body and she collapsed onto the floor. Severus walked over and crouched down next to her with a cautious expression.

"Hermione, you mean everything to me-"

"Yet you gave up on me!" She turned to stare at him angrily.

"I did," He sighed. "I know, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for letting this happen. I'm sorry that I signed the papers. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for our son! And I'm sorry for not believing in you...I'm ready to do anything that will make you smile again; I'm ready to do everything to reverse what I've done."

Hermione winced in pain and looked away from him. She hiccupped a sob and adjusted herself, so her back was against the sofa. He watched her for a few moments then moved to sit next to her. She stretched out her legs and wiped her cheeks with shaky hands.

"Will he stay in Azkaban for long?" She asked solemnly.

"I told him that if he pays himself out of prison, then I'll kill him."

"Is that a threat he'll abide by?"

"This is Lucius we're talking about so probably not," He turned his head towards her. "The Auror's will come by tomorrow to interview you about the events."

She nodded her head then stared at the fire. "Hunderford will be joining him?"

"It all depends on what you can prove," His voice was rough, and a quiet laugh escaped her lips.

"Isn't the attempted kidnapping of our son enough?"

"Apparently not."

"It's fine," She whispered picking at a loose thread on her trousers. "I've seen him do plenty of things that are illegal...they won't put me on trial will they?"

"Those women you killed…" He paused as he saw her body shake. "There's no point in the Ministry overexposing it; they'll be making themselves look bad. I can guarantee you that they knew of this man selling curses but didn't think it would be a big deal. If they knew about it then they could've stopped it—any headstrong lawyer could point out that the Ministry is to blame for not eradicating the threat as soon as they found it out. Also, you weren't in control of what you were doing, and the healers have confirmed that the curse is no longer in your body."

"Good," She bit down on her bottom lip, then ever so slowly she lowered her head to his shoulder. Severus' heart clenched, and he took in a staggered breath. They stayed that way for a long time until he started to feel his body go numb and she snored quietly. He carefully picked her up off the floor and carried her through to the bedroom and lowered her onto the soft bed. She mumbled something inaudible then nuzzled her face into the pillow.

Severus sat down on the edge then lowered his lips to her cheek and kissed her gently. "I love you."


	20. Chapter 20

_AN:/ Hello! I hope you enjoy this one - they're definitely moving forward, slowly but surely - Now, I know that many writers struggle to write speech for young children so the way Erik talks is based off my five year old cousin (she has only just turned five so her speech would be identical to Erik's) and she can talk very clearly, but she puts mummy, daddy, or the name of whoever she's talking to, in literally every sentence! If it doesn't fit what you know then just bare with me or try to ignore it :D Many thanks to the following people for reviewing, Nastytashy, Zedoc, Angelusica, Blue night fairy, GoForHerBlood, SevLover, Glass-NotCannon, ndavis77, Hermionewins and Guests._

 _Also, some things to keep in mind while reading this chapter, Hermione is yet to know the full extent of the curse, so she doesn't know that it affected Severus as well (don't worry that won't make her easily forgive him), as you'll be able to see from this chapter, the couple that will follow are going to be about ironing out all the creases in their relationship and slowly working on the damage done to Hermione and her helping him battle his insecurities! That's enough rambling, ENJOY!_

 _Song: WILD - Back To You._

* * *

 _Chapter 20: Holiday._

"Psst...mummy…"

"Let Miss Hermione sleep."

"Mummy...wakey wakey…"

Hermione groaned into the soft pillow and slowly opened her eyes to see Erik sat on her stomach grinning down at her.

"Morning mummy," He whispered sheepishly, and Hermione furrowed her brows in confusion then looked to her right and saw Severus sleeping soundly by her side. She could make out the middle spot where Erik had been asleep. "Daddy brought me in last night."

"Oh," Her voice was rough. "Sweetie, mummy's a bit sore, so I need you to be careful."

"Sorry, mummy," He got off her, and she gritted her teeth as she sat up. She saw the sad look on his face, so she placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Breakfast for Miss Hermione?" Rima stood at her bedside, and Hermione pulled the frail elf into her arms. "Mistress, Rima said she does not like it when you-"

"I know, sorry," She wiped away the tears that had started to fall. "Thank you for always watching over Erik."

"I serve you, Miss Hermione."

Hermione nodded her head then looked at Severus. Anger formed in her veins and she did her best to control it. They were both going to have to go through some serious therapy, whether that be shouting at each other or her throwing things at him.

"Can we go for ice cream today?" Erik rubbed his eyes, and she flattened his messy hair.

"We will have to see. Mummy should be getting some visitors today, so if you are patient then we can go later on," She kissed him again, and he grinned.

"I will be good mummy, I promise," Hermione smiled back at him then hung her legs off the side of the bed.

"Rima will fetch your breakfast," Rima disappeared with a pop leaving Hermione to wonder if she was getting along with the other house-elves.

Erik jumped down and ran off giggling into the other room. She got to her twitching knees and took notice of two phials on the bedside table; she looked back at Severus with a sad smile knowing that he'd put them there. She swallowed them and recognised one of them as his potion for the side-effects of the Cruciatus Curse.

Erik gasped from the other room, and Hermione walked over to the doorway and leaned against it for support.

"Look at the books mummy!" He exclaimed loudly, and she heard Severus wake up behind her.

"I'm afraid you may be a bit young for some of your daddy's books," She said, and he pouted. "But, I'll find you something to read later on. I can help you understand the words so you can start reading me bedtime stories."

"Thank you, Mummy—Daddy!" Hermione jumped at his sudden scream, and she turned to see Severus hovering behind her. An awkward smile grew on his face, and she nodded her head then looked away.

"Good morning," He coughed to clear his gruff voice.

"We get to go and get ice cream later on!" Erik effectively bounced over to him and threw his arms around his leg. "Morning Daddy."

Hermione watched Severus' cheeks flush pink, and she couldn't stop the smile from growing on her face. She knew that Erik would be key in helping them recover, the boy didn't have any sense that something could be wrong with them so he'd treat Severus just as he would Hermione. It meant that she was glad a child came out of all this mess because if Erik weren't around, then it would take longer for them to recover from the damage.

Hermione was going to find it hard to be mad at Severus if they go and get ice cream together. She couldn't spend the evening snapping at him or shouting because it would ruin a trip that Erik has been planning for a long time. To begin with, she would fake her happiness, but she knew that eventually, Erik would start spreading his joy to them both and enjoying their family time would be inevitable.

Rima appeared with a pop by the kitchen doorway. "Breakfast is prepared, Miss Hermione."

"Thank you," Hermione walked into the kitchen, and she could feel Severus' eyes on her. He managed to manoeuvre his way over with Erik still attached to his leg giggling. They sat down at the table, and she stared at the food happily, her eyes started to water, and she felt the overwhelming urge to cry out in delight.

 _We're - somewhat - normal._

Hermione wasn't sure why it affected her so much, but she couldn't help looking across at Severus who helped Erik climb onto the chair next to him; he was too short to reach the table, so Severus adjusted the height of the chair with a wave of his wand. He turned to look at her and his eyes widened.

"What's wrong?" He asked, and he reached across the table to grab her hand, but she flinched away.

"S-Sorry," She muttered.

"Don't apologise," He whispered back.

"Can I eat all this Mummy?" Erik's face glowed in delight, and she could see the moistness on his lips.

"Eat until you're full sweetie."

"Thank you, Mummy, I love you."

"I love you too. Now, let's eat this lovely food," Hermione started to shovel the food into her mouth, forgetting the manners her parents had taught her. Severus ate slowly, and she caught his eyes occasionally as he looked between them both in bewilderment.

Even though things were awkward between them both, she was glad that he wasn't letting it affect Erik. _He seems to be taking it in his stride like I knew he would._ Hermione wiped her mouth with the back of her hand then cleared her throat.

"Do you know when the Auror's will arrive?" She asked.

"They've more than likely arrived already. I warded the door, so anyone who touches it will receive a shock, and I blocked the floo."

"Oh," She took a sip of her water. "There will be a lot of questions today."

"You don't have to answer anything you're not comfortable with saying," He explained and she gave him a weak smile. "The Auror's will be irritating to talk to, whereas your friends will be another story."

"They're not my friends—I'll give Ron the benefit of the doubt, but he still didn't show up until four years had passed."

Severus sighed. "Hermione they care about you-"

"No they don't; if they cared I would've been home a day after Valentine's Day with everything sorted. If you cared, then we would still be married."

"You have every right to be angry-"

"Stop telling me what I'm entitled to! You said the same things last night, and it still sounds pathetic hearing it again! How about you start owning up to your mistakes and stop telling me that I can feel free to be angry at you! It wasn't just me who fucked up-"

Hermione glanced at Erik furiously and saw his hands were covering his ears, similar to what he used to do whenever Lucius started shouting. Her heart shattered in her chest, and she whimpered. Erik stared back at her with a quivering bottom lip then jumped down from the transfigured chair and ran out of the kitchen and into the bedroom.

Severus got to his feet, and she could see the anger and pain on his face, there were a lot of things left unsaid. However, they both walked out of the kitchen side by side and went into the bedroom. Erik lay on the bed nuzzling his face into a pillow.

They sat down either side of him, and Hermione reached out her shaking hand and brushed some of his hair away from his face.

"Erik, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," She stroked her thumb over his cheek.

"You said that when we see Daddy again that we'd get to be happy, but you're not happy Mummy," He cried, and she kissed his head.

"Mummy's happy Erik, we're safe here with Daddy. I promise I won't shout anymore."

"Your mother is angry at me because I made a mistake," Severus' voice was grave, and she stared at him with watery eyes to find he was looking at her.

"What mistake?" Erik asked.

"I did something silly before you were born and it hurt her feelings," Erik sat up and tilted his head back slightly to look up at Severus.

"You hurt my mummy?"

A faint smile grew on his face at the sight of Erik showing his protective streak.

"I'm very sorry for doing so; it's why your mother was shouting at me. Sometimes she has to because I don't understand how much I've truly hurt her. I'm going to do my best not to upset her anymore and correct my mistake."

"That's a good idea—have you tried saying sorry to mummy?"

Severus locked eyes with her, and he slowly reached out his hand, and she allowed him to wipe the tears from her face. "I have, but I'll continue to say it to her even if she does forgive me for my mistake."

Erik giggled and looked between them. "Can we go for ice cream now?"

"Didn't I say later," Hermione reminded him.

"Let's go now," Severus said getting to his feet.

"What about the-"

"We can leave, and they'll never know. Spinner's End is empty—a bit rundown—nonetheless it's void of press and pesky people. I do believe you pair deserve a break from the prying eye, so we're going to take a little holiday away from such people."

"Really?" Hermione gasped. "We can do that?"

"To make things easier, when we arrive you can retrieve some of your memories which will get Hunderford sent to Azkaban, and I will whisk it away to the Auror's then we can spend as long as we like away from everyone. We can work on things as a family, and Erik, you can finally try some ice cream."

"Yay!" He clapped his hands together and started to bounce on the bed. "Can we go Mummy?"

It was a lot to take in so suddenly, but it made sense. They had problems to sort out, and it would be easier to achieve away from everyone else. Severus could brew her any potions she might need for her injuries, Erik would have the freedom to run around and explore places—he could finally have ice cream!

Hermione nodded her head. "Of course we can."

Severus smiled at her "There are clothes at Spinner's End for you, and some that we can easily transfigure for Erik."

"OK," She got off the bed and stood up on her shaking legs. "Let us go and get you some ice cream."

Erik jumped off the bed and started dancing around in excitement. He grabbed her hand then held his other out for Severus to take, he walked around the bed and took hold of his tiny hand. "Can I try all the flavours?"

Hermione chuckled, and they made their way over to the fireplace and soon arrived at Spinner's End together.


	21. Chapter 21

_Chapter 21: Ice Cream._

"D'ya think dat they 'ave all the 'avours!" Erik squealed with his face pressed against the glass window of the cafe making his words difficult to understand. A few of the people inside turned to giggle at the excited boy then returned to their food.

"How about we have a look at the sign? You can pick whatever you like," Hermione held out her hand, and Erik moved away from the glass leaving behind a smeared print of his tiny face.

Severus lingered behind them, and Hermione knew that he was struggling with the concept of going out as a family. She wasn't stupid; it will take time for him to adjust to everything. He may be surrounded by children a lot, but it couldn't compare to having a child of your own.

Hermione pushed open the door and led him over to the small booth along the far wall. Erik groaned in protest as they moved further away from the counter, but she made sure to have him seated where he could see the sign. Severus took the seat opposite them and awkwardly looked around the room.

They'd spent a good two hours extracting specific memories from her mind, and it had drained both of them. She could see the exhaustion on Severus' face and felt a pang of guilt in her chest— _I shouldn't feel guilty._

Severus had done quick work on turning some of the old clothes at Spinner's End into something wearable for them both; it was getting closer to winter, so the afternoon air pinched at their skin. The end of October is getting closer which means that Erik will be turning four years old.

 _He will be able to celebrate his birthday;_ the thought caused tears to sting her eyes. Severus looked away from his scanning, and his hand moved towards hers. Hermione shook her head and quickly wiped her face, then turned to Erik.

"Can you read the flavours for me, Mummy?" He asked innocently, and she flattened some of his hair.

Severus cleared his throat and shifted to look at the board above the counter. "We've got: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, mint chocolate chip-"

"That one, I want that one!" He squealed. "Then I'll have the strawberry one, vanilla, and chocolate."

"Sweetie, you can only have one for now, but I promise we'll come back for more," He pouted up at her, and she kissed him quickly then got up to go to the counter.

"I'll do it," Severus said and left the booth.

"Mummy," Erik whispered. "Is daddy angry?"

"No sweetie, he's just...your father doesn't like being in a situation he's unfamiliar with," She explained and started to play with his long hair; it helped relax him and also provided Hermione something to distract herself with.

"Is it 'cuz he doesn't love me?" Hermione inhaled sharply then shook her head.

"No, don't ever think that!" She exclaimed. "He loves you very much..."

Hermione wasn't sure what else to say, how else do you tell a child that though his father loves him, she's unsure whether he'd say it as often as she does. Hermione knew Severus very well and the only time he said he loved her was when no one else was around; he didn't announce it from the rooftops, she hadn't expected him to, but it was different with a child.

"Do I look angry then? You always say that I look like my daddy," He leaned against her arm while keeping an eye on the woman scooping the ice cream from a tub.

"You don't look angry sweetie. Things will take time, and we'll slowly get used to being together as a family," He nodded his head.

"Rima is going to be staying with us?"

"For as long as she wishes, but don't expect her to do everything for you anymore. You're free to explore the house on your own unless I tell you not to," He wiggled in excitement, then squealed in delight as Severus walked over and slid the bowl across the table. There were three scoops of mint chocolate and a small spoon.

Erik's eyes widened, and he started to shovel the cold dessert into his mouth.

"Slow down; you don't want to get brain-"

"Ow, ow ow ow ow, mummy it hurts!" He cried and turned to Hermione with watery eyes. A small smile grew on Severus' face, and Hermione chuckled.

"Give it a couple of seconds then it will pass," Erik nuzzled his face against her arm to wish it away. "You have to eat ice cream steadily otherwise you'll keep getting brain freeze."

"O-Okay," He sniffled.

"Thank you for this," Hermione said.

"There are no thanks needed, I'm doing what's right," He relaxed into his seat a little, and her eyes narrowed.

"You've always been good at making your words backhanded," He stiffened at her harsh tone, but Hermione couldn't find it within herself to feel bad for him. "You don't have to be here just because you feel morality dictates you to—be here because you want to fix this mess."

"I didn't mean it like that," He grunted, and she saw anger flash across his face. "This is just..."

"Unexpected?"

"Surreal."

"Oh," Hermione started to wipe some ice cream off Erik's chin as he cautiously put some more into his mouth.

"Perhaps we should discuss this at home," He said searching her eyes for any sign of warmth.

Severus was struggling, he had no idea what to do in this situation, and it seemed like Hermione expected him to know exactly what to do. All Severus could think about was wrapping his arms around them and telling them how sorry he was, but he knew Hermione wouldn't welcome it.

 _Maybe I should stop second-guessing myself?_

Severus narrowed his eyes in frustration then sat up straight in his seat. "Shall we head back shortly. There are many things for Erik to do at home-"

"You can talk to him, it's not hard," She hissed, and her eyes widened in shock. "I-I'm sorry—I didn't mean..." Hermione grumbled then buried her face in her hands.

"Erik," Severus said moving his eyes to the oblivious face of his son.

"Yes, Daddy?" He chirped then licked his sticky fingers.

"Would you like to explore the garden back at the house?" Severus knew that the boy needed to be outside more than in. He'd spent all of his life cooped up in one small room, and Severus wanted him to know what it felt like to be free.

Erik's eyes widened, and he stood up in the booth seat, extended his arms and grinned at him. "I wanna' go now Daddy."

Hermione pulled her face away from her hands and chuckled. Somewhere down the line, she'd work on his 'I want' demands, but she was willing to allow him a free pass for the time being. _He's never had anything he wanted before, and I'm sure this is very overwhelming for him._

"Home sounds fun," Hermione said, and they left the cafe.

...

"Bzzzz," Erik ran circles around the overgrown garden in search of a bumblebee.

"Sweetie, bees don't tend to come out during the colder seasons," She explained, and he stopped his quick run, giggled, then proceeded to make the noise again.

Severus walked out of the back door carrying four phials while a tray of tea floated behind him. He joined her at the rusty table, and he lay the potions in front of her.

"Thank you," Hermione took the potions quickly and washed the lingering taste from her mouth with some tea. She could feel his eyes on her, and she ignored the fluttering sensation in her stomach.

"How are you feeling?"

"Sore."

"No tremors at all?" He asked, and she shook her head.

"When I was allowed back inside the manor the tremors only became prominent at night," She stared down at the liquid in her cup. There was a noticeable shake, but nothing like it could be. "They didn't affect me while I was under the curse."

Severus relaxed into the creaky chair, and they silently watched Erik race around the garden. Severus couldn't stop the small smile from gracing his lips as he watched his lanky son tumble around the garden giddily. His hearty laughs and waving arms made him feel proud that his son was going to be living a life of freedom from now onwards. _I'll be damned if I let him grow up like me._

"Hermione...I know sorry will never be good enough, but I hope you understand that I never meant for things to happen the way they did—The fault lies with me; I can only hope that you see I want to try to fix this."

She sighed, then leaned forward on her elbows. "Severus, I know you. I understand that you're sorry, even though right now it doesn't seem enough," He slouched in his seat. "I'm going to be angry at you over the littlest of things, and I'll feel bad for doing it, however, the only thing we need is time. I still love you, Severus, very much."

He took her hand in his and warmth flooded his body when she openly accepted his touch with a tentative squeeze.

"Erik's birthday is coming up," She said. "He'll be turning four on October 25th, so we have two weeks to sort something out for him."

"Was he allowed some form of celebration before?" He asked cautiously.

"No," She tapped her fingers on the table. "That's why this birthday needs to be special."

"And it will be," He declared, and they returned to watching Erik run circles around the garden.

After the long day came to an end, Hermione ushered Erik up the stairs while Severus stalked behind her. They walked into Severus' bedroom to get Erik ready for bed.

"I don't wanna' sleep mummy!" Erik proclaimed and turned to pout up at her. "I'm a big boy now, so I don't need sleep!"

"Sweetie, I know you've never had a set bedtime, but you need to start," She said. "Once you feel comfortable you can start sleeping in your own bed. Doesn't that make you feel grown up?"

"In my own room?" He beamed at her.

"Of course," Severus retrieved some smaller clothes that were from when he was a child then transfigured them into some wearable pyjamas. Hermione stripped Erik off and wrestled with him to put the clothes on.

"Don't make things difficult for your mother," Severus said suddenly and Erik stopped struggling.

"Sorry, Daddy," Hermione's eyes widened in surprise then she thanked him with a nod. "Do I get a story?"

"Are there any books here from when you were younger?" She asked Severus, and he shook his head. "How about I tell you one?"

"But, Mummy," He whined. "Your stories are boring."

Severus chuckled from across the room causing Erik to whirl around. "Can you tell me a story, Daddy?"

It was Hermione's turn to laugh. They soon tucked Erik into the centre of the double bed and sat on either side of him.

"What's the story about?" Erik pulled the quilt up to his chin and relaxed against the pillow. Hermione allowed herself to watch Severus closely and for the first time, he didn't look tense.

"Would you like to hear the story of a young girl that set her Professor's robes on fire?"

"Severus-"

"Yes! I want that one Daddy!" Erik giggled in excitement and Hermione's cheeks flushed pink.

Severus started to make up a dramatic story surrounding the young girl who 'victimised' her Professor and rudely set his robes alight. The sound of his baritone voice was enough to lull them both away to the land of dreams.

He finished soon after and adjusted the blanket so it fell across her, then he placed a gentle kiss on both of their heads.


	22. Chapter 22

_Chapter 22: Catalyst._

Severus shifted on the bed and muttered something inaudible. Someone was whining, and he was close to lashing out in his tired state. He opened his eyes and turned to look at Hermione. She was starting to move erratically on the bed.

His eyes widened briefly, and he got to his feet and raced to her side. Severus knew that nightmares would be a common thing for her, but it didn't mean he liked to see it. She had been there for him when he suffered from them, so it was his duty to be there for her.

Carefully, he reached out two steady hands and grabbed her shoulders. The fog inside her mind started to clear, and her body calmed down. He waited to see if she would stay asleep, but her eyes fluttered open.

"W-What...?" She whispered, and her gaze flew to Erik's then she sighed in relief.

"You were having a bad dream," He explained. "It's almost seven o'clock, would you like some tea?"

She nodded her head. "Yes, thank you," He helped her from the bed, and they headed downstairs. Hermione wouldn't allow Severus to shut the door because she didn't want Erik ever to feel like he was trapped again. He gave her a firm nod, and they went into the kitchen.

Severus didn't have much to offer for food and drink, but he was going to ask if she wanted to go out and buy some later on. He could already picture the dreamy look on Erik's face when he sees all the food.

"When will we have to face everyone?" She asked while she moved to sit down.

"I believe it will be better to deal with the Ministry first and foremost, but you don't have to answer to the others until you're ready," He explained then floated the mug over to her. She thanked him with a smile then leaned back in the chair. Her body ached tremendously, and her knees twitched beneath her weight. She wasn't confident that she could perform much magic at the moment, thankfully, it would only take some time to recover.

"Are you in any pain?" He asked with his head bowed.

"A little...I just feel weird on the inside, like I've been asleep for a long time and I'm getting used to moving around again," She explained then sipped her tea.

"I'll grab you your potions-"

"Can we talk first? I'd like to have a conversation before Erik wakes up because I doubt we'll have a chance to if he does," He nodded his head, and she moved some of her messy hair away from her face. "How are you feeling Severus?"

"That isn't important," He mumbled. "My feelings are what got us into this mess in the first place."

"Why did you do it? I don't want the half-arsed excuse you keep giving, just tell me the honest truth."

"I...Hermione, I have no idea why I did it; there was nothing logical inside my mind at the time, all I could focus on was the divorce papers and the fact that it was you giving them to me," He got to his feet and started to pace. "There's something you should know."

"OK?" Her eyebrows furrowed. What else could he have to tell her?

"We found out that the curse was specifically designed to affect both of us. There was a deterrent charm put on the necklace that warded me off from questioning your actions reasonably; it screwed up my mind and made me think the worst about everything," Severus saw the anger flare up in her eyes, and he cut her off before she could shout at him. "I'm not going to use that as an excuse Hermione, I know that it wasn't controlling me, I understand that I could've done more, and I'm sorry. There is no real reason for what I did—I panicked and got defensive, you...broke my heart."

It sounded pathetic, but it was the only thing he could remember clearly about that Valentine's Day; the pain in his chest had been enough to make him sick, and the single thought in his mind was _"I knew it."_ He didn't want her to apologise, the only thing he wished for was forgiveness.

"Do you have any idea what it was like?!" She yelled slamming the mug onto the table. "I watched what I was doing to you; I saw the pain that you were in and there was nothing I could do to stop it! Any normal man would've moved on!"

"Is that what you want? For me to move on?!" His fingers curled into fists. "If it was the other way around, would you have moved on?"

"No, because I'd of known something was wrong from the beginning," Severus flinched away from her words and turned to look out of the kitchen window. Hermione could see the slight tremor that ran up his back, and she bit down on her bottom lip.

She felt terrible for lashing out at him, but another part of her mind said that he deserved it, that she had every right to be angry at him. Yet, she felt guilty and wished to comfort him.

"Hermione..." He spoke coldly. "I held you in my arms—you weren't breathing—as far as I knew you were dead," Severus' voice became deeper. "The last person I ever held like that in my arms was Lily, and when I remember how I felt holding you, there was no comparison. I didn't know what to do, Erik kept asking you to wake up, and I couldn't get you to. All I could think about was how I'd failed you, how I ruined our marriage and robbed our son of a normal start to life. I understand that things will never go back to normal. However, I would like to make a start. If you don't feel like you can forgive me, then I understand, and I'll be there for Erik-"

"Do you enjoy giving me up so easily?" She mumbled her interruption and Severus turned to look at her. "Where's your fight? Fight for me, is that too much to ask? I'm not expecting some grand gesture, all I want is for you to believe in yourself more. Stop thinking that I'll up and leave you randomly someday. I love you Severus, and right now, it seems like I'm the only one that's fighting to make this work—you haven't even said that you...that you love me."

Severus slowly walked over to her side, and she stared blankly at him. Hermione knew that he was the type of man to think his actions rather than do, but it pained her to realise he was yet to express his feelings to her.

He slowly reached up to cup the side of her face, and he glided his thumb along her cheekbone. She felt herself move into his touch and her eyes fluttered closed.

"I love you, Hermione," He wrapped his arms around her, and she sank into his embrace. Hermione sighed as her body started to relax, there was still the pain in her limbs, but being held by Severus felt a million times better than standing apart from him. "I'm struggling to understand how you can still love me—I do not want sympathy or for you to stroke my ego, however, I realise that I've done something that's unforgivable. There are a lot of things in my life that I regret—this is certainly one of them—most of them are pushed to the back of my mind and forgotten, but this, I cannot forgive myself for what I've done."

"Lucius was the catalyst; we're both to blame for what happened, I should've told you he was bothering me, and you should've fought for me. There were a lot of people at fault, not just you and I. Ron, Harry; even Draco contributed to the blame somehow. Dumbledore, Minerva, and anyone who was a constant figure in my life. Everyone who knew me before the curse should have spotted that something was wrong immediately, yet, no one questioned my actions."

"I should've noticed," He whispered into her hair. "And I'm sorry I didn't," Hermione squeezed him tighter.

"We'll sort this out, but it has to be you and me together from now onwards-"

"Mummy!" Erik came barging into the kitchen, tripped over thin air and got back up then threw himself against their legs. "I'm hungry, where's Rima? I wanna see her now, can we see her now?"

Hermione separated herself from Severus and ushered Erik over to one of the chairs. "We shall have some breakfast first," She kissed his head then looked back at Severus. "What happened to Rima?"

"They offered the house-elves a place at Hogwarts," He explained. "We'll need to go there at some point today and answer everyone's questions. As far as they know, we're still cooped up in there."

"Hogwarts is big, I like it, but it's cold, so I don't feel like going," Erik swung his legs back and forth merrily, and Severus smirked.

"You'll have to get used to it sweetie, your daddy works there," Hermione started opening the cupboards to search for food, but Severus stepped up next to her and took over.

"Drink your tea," He said, and she nodded her head then joined Erik at the table.

"But I like it here mummy!" He exclaimed. "Can't daddy find somewhere else to work?"

Hermione laughed. "I think your daddy secretly enjoys working at Hogwarts."

"OK, we have to go then!" He proclaimed with a wave of his hand. "We get to see Rima though?"

"Yes."

"Good."

...

"I can't do this," Hermione turned on her heel to leave, but Severus laced his arm around her waist and turned her back the right way.

"Hermione, we have to do this," He whispered in her ear. "I know you're scared but remember that I'm here."

She gnawed on her bottom lip and glanced up at him. "Everyone will be asking the same questions, and I don't want to keep repeating myself-"

"Hermione," He said firmly. "I promise that the moment you feel like they're asking too much, we can leave. This is the last place I want to be right now, but we have to do this—as soppy as it sounds—together. We cannot avoid it forever."

"I suppose you're right, unfortunately," Hermione watched his eyes move to her lips, and for a moment she thought he would kiss her, but he didn't.

"Let us go inside," He headed over to Erik who was stumbling ahead of them picking up stones and putting them in his pocket.

"What are you looking for?" Severus asked curiously.

"They gotta be different shapes daddy," He dropped a useless one then ran ahead to pick up another. "I wanna' collect things and keep them, mummy said that people get presents on their birthday...yours is in 'anuary mummy said so—I'm going to give you them as presents."

Severus froze and stared down at his son. A warmth spread in his chest and his body relaxed, there was something brilliantly uplifting about a child's innocence of the world. Rather than focusing on the quarrels and woes around him, he's concerned about what presents to give him for his birthday, even if they were stones.

"That's very thoughtful of you," He walked over and slowly reached out his hand to make the first move of affection. He gently rested his hand on Erik's head, and he responded with a giggle, then looked up at him.

"When it's mummy's birthday you gotta help me pick out flowers," Erik grabbed his hand. "Mummy loves flowers."

Severus waited for Hermione to catch up and she gave him a sly smile. They both knew she wasn't overly fond of flowers.

"Don't we have a birthday to think about before ours?" Hermione grabbed his other hand. "I do believe a little boy is turning four soon."

"Who's turning four? I wanna' be four mummy!"

"It's your birthday soon," Severus said. "You'll be four then."

"Yay!" He started bouncing as they walked and the stones clinked together in his pockets. "Can I have a spoon for my birthday?"

Severus smiled down at him again feeling overwhelmed by his son's innocence. There was no doubt a humorous story behind him wanting a spoon for his birthday, but it would have to wait. They approached the doors and standing there were two Ministry officials, Albus, Minerva, Weasley, Potter, Draco and James. Severus wondered where Sam had disappeared off to, but he was probably back to living his life in Knockturn Alley.

He saw Hermione stiffen and he gave her an encouraging nod. Answering to the Ministry would be the easy part of this whole fiasco, but Severus knew Hermione would react angrily towards Potter and Weasley.

"Hermione-" Her narrowed eyes cut Potter off before he could move towards her.

"Thank you for returning; I'm aware that there are better places you wish to be," Albus explained. "However, many legal matters must be resolved."

"That's what we are here for—not to resolve things with others," Venom laced Hermione's words, and she moved her attention towards the Ministry officials. "Where would you like to talk?"

"You may head to my office," Albus offered.

They headed inside, and Erik pulled his hands out of theirs and raced ahead. He stumbled up some of the steps but pushed himself back up giggling. James broke free from both of his fathers and chased after him, Severus looked to Hermione and saw the reluctant smile that grew on her face. He stepped ahead just as a hand slipped into his own, he chose not to make a big deal about it and responded with a tight squeeze.


	23. Chapter 23

**AN:/ Hello! Yes an author's note finally, I know it has been a long time away from this story so I posted two chapters to see if anyone was around. I only got a couple of reviews but that's okay, how about I make you a deal! I'll have this story finished and cleaned up by Christmas! I kind of ran into the dreaded writers block because I have already written a 3-part epilogue (I wrote it over a month ago) but I couldn't work out how to reach that point which frustrated me! I think I have a direct plan now and I'd say there is a few chapters left until the epilogue!**

 **Please Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Chapter 23: Heal Us._

"I don't know what else you expect me to say?!" Hermione flew to her feet and started to pace. Severus saw the pain on her face, and all he wanted to do was take her home to give her some pain relief potions.

"Anything incriminating," The woman replied. "We need more evidence."

"He's Lucius' accomplice is that not enough to put him away? I've given you my memories, which prove he's a criminal!" Her voice broke at the end. "I have nothing else to give you."

"Rufus claims that you killed a couple of whores," The man said. "Is that true?"

Severus growled in frustration. "You know that she cannot be held accountable for anything she did while under the influence of the curse."

"We don't know the full extent of the curse yet, we're waiting for our people to finish analysing your ring," Severus had heard enough, he'd held his tongue while the pair belittled Hermione and treated her like she was the one in the wrong.

"My wife has given you enough evidence to make sure Hunderford goes away for a long time-"

"I don't believe you should be in here since you are no longer married," The woman tilted her head slightly mocking him. Hermione inhaled sharply and ran forward, Severus jumped up from his seat and grabbed her before she could inflict marks upon the heinous woman.

"It's OK," He whispered by her ear and turned her away from the woman. "We're done here."

"We will return at a later date if there arises a need for more evidence," The pair left Albus' office and when the door shut behind them, Severus let go of her.

"I'm tired," Her eyes stayed on the floor and he noticed the slight shake to her shoulders. "Can we go?"

"Let's go and collect Erik," He said, and she quickly grabbed his hand. Her grip was tight enough to cause him pain and he wondered for a second if she did it on purpose.

They walked out into the corridor to see everyone spread out along the hall. Erik and James were sat on the floor counting the stones that had been in Erik's pocket, while Draco watched over them. Potter was the first to approach but Hermione stilled him with another look.

Severus watched her eyes soften slightly as she took in the sight of Weasley, then she moved over to Erik.

"It's time to go sweetie," He looked at her with watery eyes.

"I don't wanna' leave," His bottom lip started to quiver and there was a similar look on James' face. "We haven't seen Rima yet-" The house-elf popped into existence nearby and Erik staggered over to give her a hug. "Hello Rima!"

"Rima is here to help Miss," Hermione smiled down at her then cast a look back at Severus.

"Do you like it here Rima?"

"Very much Miss Hermione, Rima is happy working with others."

"But I want Rima to come home with us!" Erik wailed and his grip tightened on her.

"You can still see Rima sweetie; she'll just be working here instead," Hermione placed her hand on his head and he sniffled.

"I'll miss Rima," He whispered and Severus saw the moment her heart broke a little, she smiled down at him then slowly moved him away from the house-elf.

"I know you will, but she'll still be here and you can see her whenever we visit the castle," She explained and Erik looked back at Rima with a small smile.

"Rima will be waiting for Mr Erik to come and see her," She said and Erik nodded his head.

"Thank you for everything," Hermione picked Erik up and he nuzzled his face into her neck.

"Rima is happy to have helped Miss Hermione," She disappeared before them and Hermione felt Erik's tears soak her neck. She closed her eyes for too long and Severus saw the moment she started to feel dizzy. He quickly moved to her side taking Erik from her, then he placed his hand on her back for support.

"We'll be going now," Severus grumbled.

"We want to talk to Hermione," Potter spoke up. "I wish to resolve things-"

"I'll talk to you when I'm ready, and on my own terms," She relaxed against his side. "I have more important things to fix first."

...

"Mummy look at this! Oh, and this! I like this one more—no I love this one! Mummy this one's blue, blue's a cool colour…" Hermione relaxed into the armchair in the library with a smile.

After returning from Hogwarts they decided to take Erik shopping for some food and Severus had offered to buy Erik a few toys to play with. He was currently beaming over a pile of toy cars and lego bricks. Severus walked over to her with some phials in his hand, she thanked him with a smile then took them.

There were two armchairs next to each other facing the fire, and Severus took a seat in the empty one to her left. She saw him relax, and they watched Erik play with his toys in front of the fireplace.

"I think he used magic for the first time that night," Severus said suddenly, and she turned to look at him.

"Really?"

"After you were...hit...Hunderford wouldn't let him go and when he started crying hysterically there was a loud bang, Hunderford fell to the ground unconscious. There was no one else around at the time to cast a spell on him, so I can only assume that it was Erik."

"Although I wish it had been under different circumstances, I'm glad," She sighed and brought her knees up to her chest. "Whenever I had the chance to talk to him properly, he always wished to talk about magic, and you."

"Did you tell him a lot about me?" He asked, and she could feel his eyes roaming over her face.

"Of course, the first time I mentioned you his face lit up in joy and he wanted to hear everything about you," She explained with a smile. "He cared more about your stories than mine, but I suppose the tales of an honorable man are better than those of a bossy know-it-all."

"You shouldn't have told him that; there's nothing honorable about me," He said, and she leaned closer to get a better look at his face.

"That's how I see you, even when I'm angry at you," Hermione reached out and moved some of the black strands away from his face. "I need you to be with me every step of the way Severus."

"I'm not going anywhere," He whispered and turned his face into her hand. A soft smile grew on her face and they stayed that way for a while, staring at each other cautiously wondering what would become of them.

Hermione recalled the moment earlier when she thought he might kiss her; the action had seemed wrong at the time, but looking at him now made her want to place her lips against his. There wasn't a rule book telling her how she should be feeling after something like this, yet, she still wished for him to hold her.

 _Maybe affection can heal us_. She slowly leaned over and kissed his cheek. For a brief second they both paused to absorb the moment. Hermione was the first to move away, and focus her attention on the fire.


	24. Chapter 24

_**AN:/ Hello! Thank you for the response to the last chapter, all your reviews were eagerly received and made me smile! I have written out a plan now which will lead me up to the epilogue, so if everything goes to plan and I don't go off on a tangent, there are six more chapters left until the epilogue (which I will be posting in one go so everything is done by Christmas Eve).**_

 _ **Many thanks to the following people for reviewing, dmeb, DutchGirl01, Socialelite8, Butttons, Slytherinvillain7, sandlapper, FrancineHibiscus, and roon0.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

 _Chapter 24: Reconcile._

Hermione sat on the bed and listened to the noises coming from the bathroom. Severus had jumped at the chance to bathe Erik, and one glance at the smitten look on his face caused her heart to swell.

She had kissed his cheek yesterday and almost done it again before they went to bed. Another nightmare had woken her up, so he joined her in the kitchen for a cup of tea, and they talked about the littlest of things. Hermione could see that he was trying, but there was still something bothering her. _I'm not sure what it is though?_

The voice in her head told her she should be shouting at him for everything, but her heart protested whenever she opened her mouth to belittle him. _I'm being nasty to Severus and it's not fair to him._

Hermione's thoughts kept getting mixed up, and she put it down to the aftershock of what had happened. _My emotions are understandable; I've been away from a normal life for a long time and it's odd having it all back_.

Her goal for today was to smile more at Severus; she wasn't sure she had full control over what she would say to him. _I have to stop blaming him for everything, otherwise, we'll get nowhere._

 _Merlin, I hope Lucius and Hunderford rot in hell._

"No—Daddy don't be silly!" Erik's giggles echoed around the house.

Hermione smiled to herself.

 _We could enjoy a relaxing night in front of the fire_. The idea caused her to perk up. They could put Erik to bed and stay with him until he falls asleep, then sit and talk for a while. She needed to know what was stopping her from seeing how they could move forward; it was against her nature to not know something so simple.

Perhaps she needed closure or wished to reconcile with her friends. She wasn't looking forward to that inevitable argument, but she'd rather get it out of the way now instead of later. Hermione nodded to herself, then left the bedroom. _I'll contact Harry and Ron so we can talk_.

She contacted them by floo, and both of them stared at her in surprise, then leapt towards the fireplace to head to Spinner's End. Hermione waited for them in the kitchen and started to brew some tea for them to drink. _I shouldn't be playing hostess, but I need something to fiddle with._

Chairs soon scraped back, and she floated the tray of tea behind her as she took the seat opposite them. Harry looked ready to be sick, and Ron seemed worse for wear—he no longer looked malnourished, which was a good thing.

"Hello," She said.

"Hermione, I don't know...I'm not sure…" Harry gave Ron a pleading look, and he returned it.

"You have a son now," She offered, and turned the spoon in her mug.

"I do," Harry's face lit up at the mention of James, and she felt ashamed to have missed his son growing up. "Just like you."

Hermione moved her eyes to Ron. "Do you?"

"No, I'm not seeing anyone right now," He muttered. "I wouldn't want a bloody child after being around James so much."

"He's not that bad!" Harry exclaimed.

"Listen to this 'Mione, his son has an odd obsession with glitter. He throws it at anyone who challenges him—he even threw it over Snape," Ron chuckled and a small smile grew on Hermione's face.

"It's not an obsession," Harry retorted.

"I beg to differ, Draco confiscates it all from him, but he somehow ends up with more because you go and buy him some the moment he whips out those puppy-dog eyes."

"He sounds like quite the handful," Hermione added, and they beamed over at her.

"He really is," Harry said. "James keeps asking if he can see Erik again...would that be all right?"

She nodded her head. "Erik hasn't had the chance to be around other people his age, so James will be good for him to have around."

"'Mione...I'm so sorry," Harry reached out to grab her hand, but she moved away from him.

"I understand that...it will take some time though," She sipped her tea. "I'm angry at you both, some more than others."

"We should've known, and we're sorry for not doing anything sooner," Ron explained with sad eyes. "Draco's friend, Sam, came along and solved the mystery pretty quickly."

"Who?" A headache started to pound in her skull.

"When we were looking for Ron, Draco took me to his friend in Knockturn Alley. He said that he saw you come into the brothel with Hunderford, and he helped us uncover things about the curse put on you."

"Why am I only just hearing about this?" She asked. "Where is this man?" Hermione's eyesight started to blur from her forming migraine. She inhaled sharply and massaged her temple.

"Probably off flirting with a married man," Ron mumbled. "He's the flashy type."

"So all it took was a man I do not know to figure out that it wasn't truly me!" She flinched from her loud screech, but she couldn't stop her anger from breaking free. Her heart started to beat rapidly and a wave of heat crashed over her.

"H-Hermione—"

"No!" She snapped. "Get out! Now!"

"What's going on?" Severus' baritone voice caused them all to turn towards the doorway. He moved to walk over to Hermione, but she glared at him.

"Sam? Why didn't you tell me about him? I should be thanking him for seeing past all the bullshit that my own husband couldn't see through!"

"Leave," Severus hissed at Ron and Harry, who reluctantly left through the floo. "Hermione, listen to me-"

"Why should I listen to you? This is all your fault!" She yelled and her body started to tremble uncontrollably.

"Hermione, please calm down," He reached out to grab her, and she tried to push him away, but he gripped her tight.

He couldn't stand the sight of her weak body shaking. The exhaustion was starting to show through her body, and he needed to give her some potions.

"Look at me," He growled. "Please…"

She whimpered. "Get off me," Her knees gave out and Severus dropped to the floor with her for support. "It's too much…" She hiccuped then curled her fingers around his sleeves.

"I'm sorry," He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her slender frame. "I'm so sorry."

"Mummy," Erik waddled into the room with a sad look on his face, and he made his way over to them. "Mummy's crying," He whined, and crawled into the small gap between them and nuzzled his face into her chest.

Severus shifted their position and held them both close. He pressed a comforting kiss to Hermione's forehead.

"M-My head," She whimpered. "It feels like it's going to e-explode."

"Erik, would you go and fetch your mother's medicine from that cupboard there," He pointed over towards the cabinets, and Erik jumped to his feet.

Severus placed his hand on her head and felt how hot she was. He didn't know what was causing it; he wouldn't be able to find out unless they received the analysis report of her ring.

"Daddy, I got them," Erik held out both his hands and Severus took the one he needed.

"Thank you," Severus tilted Hermione's head back and poured the liquid down her throat.

"Mummy are you OK?" Erik whispered timidly and Hermione outstretched a shaking hand to touch him.

"I'm fine," She croaked. "Mummy's just a bit tired."

Severus picked her up off the floor and carried her over to the sofa in the living room. He lowered the flames in the fireplace and covered her with a cooling charm, then sat on the edge to brush some of her hair away from her face.

"You need to rest," He said, and she grabbed hold of his hand.

"OK," She didn't let go of his hand until she fell into a deep slumber.

...

"This is hot chocolate?" Erik tilted his head back to stare up at Severus.

They were sat in front of the fireplace getting warm on the chilly night. Hermione had a blanket draped over her body and Erik sat on Severus' lap wrapped up in an old rag that used to belong to him.

"Yes son," He replied, and Erik went to pour it into his mouth, but Severus quickly stilled his hands. "Blow it first, otherwise you'll burn your throat."

"OK," He tried to blow but it mostly came out as spit. Hermione smiled while Severus tried to teach him what to do.

Hermione now felt cold as opposed to her fevered state earlier. She had woken up a few hours ago to the sight of Severus and Erik playing with Lego bricks, which almost made her sob into the pillow. The drowsiness then consumed her, and she drifted back off to sleep.

She wasn't sure what happened earlier. One second everything had been fine, then the next thing she knew, her mind couldn't process anything.

Clearly, there were after-effects they couldn't look out for. _Tremors are easy to spot, but a migraine that feels like a train has just ploughed you down isn't easy to spot until it's over._

"I like it," Erik giggled. "It tastes nice daddy!"

"Well, I did make it myself."

Hermione laughed at his monotone response, and they both turned to look at her.

"Mummy!" Erik almost threw the hot chocolate onto the floor but Severus managed to catch it before the accident happened. "You're awake now!" He climbed up onto the sofa and flopped on top of her to give her a hug.

Hermione sat up and kept him close. "Have you enjoyed yourself?"

"Yes, daddy showed me his...erm...what's it called again?"

"Potions laboratory," Severus said.

"Yes, I got to see that! We played with my Lego, made lunch, oh, and daddy said I could try hot chocolate and I really really like it."

"That's amazing," He climbed off her lap and returned to Severus.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Better," She walked over and joined them in front of the fire. "I'm a bit cold now."

"Here," Erik pushed the hot chocolate into her hands. "Daddy says it warms people up."

"Thank you, sweetie," She sipped it carefully under his watchful eye.

"I think it's time for a certain someone to go to bed," Severus said and Erik whined in response.

"I don't wanna—" He cut himself off by yawning.

"Do you want me to put him to bed?" Severus asked. "You shouldn't move around too much yet."

"OK," She said with a smile. "Can I have a kiss goodnight?" Erik pushed himself to his feet and placed a sloppy kiss on her lips, then left the room holding Severus' hand.

Hermione stared at the rising flames blankly. _I've messed up...I cannot believe I'm still blaming him for this mess._ She placed the mug on the carpet, then sighed.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she silently cried while her mind worked itself around in circles. _I need to grow up a little and think logically about this. No amount of pointing the finger will solve any of this…_

She stayed in the same position for ten more minutes, then Severus came back into the room and sat down next to her. Hermione didn't respond for a few more minutes until he wiped away her tears.

"Is he asleep?" She turned to him and Severus nodded.

"I started to read him a story, and he fell asleep before I got to the second sentence," They picked up a few books from their trip to the supermarket, and Erik soon decided that ' _The Tiger Who Came To Tea'_ was his favourite.

"Good," She sighed.

"Hermione—" Severus' words died on his tongue when Hermione moved onto his lap and carefully laced her arms around his neck. His eyes widened slightly and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," She whispered. "None of this is your fault; I don't know what came over me, but I apologise from the bottom of my heart."

Severus wrapped his arms around her then sighed against her shoulder. She could feel him relaxing against her, so she squeezed him a little tighter.

"I couldn't think straight and everything got mixed up in my head," She pulled away to look at him, then rested her hands on the sides of his face. "It's not your fault…"

Severus' eyes shined from the firelight. He tightened his hold on her and placed his forehead against hers. She gently brushed her thumb along his cheekbone and smiled at him; tears still fell from her eyes, but she felt a lot better than before.

"I love you," Hermione's lips were close to brushing his. "I'm really sorry."

"Stop apologising," He murmured, and his gaze moved to her mouth. Hermione was the first to make a move. She pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, then looked up at him.

Severus watched her warily in case there was any sign of regret on her face. She smiled up at him and a long-lost warmth consumed his heart; he quickly brought her lips back to his and kissed her passionately.

Hermione relaxed against him and Severus moved to cup the side of her face, and she curled her fingers around his shirt. He tilted her head back and pushed his tongue into her mouth. Soft moans came from Hermione's throat, and she gripped him tighter. A short while after they separated, and she rested her head against his shoulder.

They stayed wrapped in each other's arms for a couple more hours until Hermione fell asleep and Severus carried her to bed.


	25. Chapter 25

**_AN:/ Hello! I hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you think! Sorry if there's any major mistakes in this chapter, I'm looking over it with tired eyes, but I will be fixing everything when this story is complete! Thank you to everyone who reviewed._**

 ** _Enjoy!_**

* * *

 _Chapter 25: Dad Jokes._

 _I can do this_ , Hermione told herself as they gathered up their things and headed towards the fireplace. _Severus and I are going out shopping for Erik's birthday._

Harry jumped at the opportunity to babysit when Severus asked, so they were taking Erik to Grimmauld Place to play with James for an hour or so. Afterwards, they would be joining them for dinner, Ron will be there as well as Sam. Hermione wished to meet the man who had been a key element in solving the mystery surrounding herself. _I will try to talk to Harry and Ron again, but Severus will be with me this time for support._

She had calmed down after last night and her mind was much clearer. Severus woke her from a nightmare again, and they both moved around each other in the kitchen to make breakfast.

Something had changed between them, she felt more relaxed, and he was no longer on edge. _He gave me a genuine smile for the first time in a while; he even blushed when I kissed his cheek after breakfast.  
_  
Erik stretched out his arms and Severus picked him up. She smiled when he rested his head on Severus' shoulder, then they made their way into the flames. They soon arrived at Grimmauld Place and Erik's eyes widened when they stepped out.

"That was fun, Daddy," He laughed.

"Hi," Harry smiled at them.

"Hello," Hermione replied with a gentle smile. "Thank you for agreeing to watch him."

"Anytime. James is really looking forward to it," Erik wiggled out of Severus' arms and ran over to James who was sat on the rug in front of the fire.

"You left these at 'ogwarts," James handed Erik the stones he had collected. Erik beamed at him then the pair started to chat while playing with James' toys.

"Will you be back for dinner?" Harry asked.

"Yes, if everything goes to plan," Hermione said, and she took Severus' hand. "Bye Erik."

"Bye Mummy and Daddy," He didn't look back at them and continued to play with James.

They soon left Grimmauld Place behind them and arrived at Diagon Alley. Severus' grip tightened on her hand, and they walked closely together. She wasn't sure what they should get Erik for his birthday because he would be happy with anything.

 _I want him to have a surprise  
_  
"What do you have in mind for him?" Severus asked.

She glanced up at him. "Something he won't expect will be good, but I'm not sure what would catch him off guard...do you have any ideas?"

"I do actually," He smirked.

"What?"

"Well, we have a week or so until his birthday, and I think by then he'll want to start sleeping in his own room," He explained and her eyes widened slightly. "We could decorate the spare room for him."

"Oh…" She whispered, and he swallowed hard.

"Is that OK?" He asked cautiously.

"Y-Yes...I...it will be weird to not have him there," Tears started to fall from her eyes and Severus pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. She inhaled sharply then wrapped her arms around his waist.

"He'll be fine," Severus said by her ear. "Shall we find him some toys first?"

Hermione nodded her head, and they made their way around all the shops. Severus seemed more eager than her, and she smiled at the smitten look on his face; it reminded her that they were moving on from their past.

After an hour of browsing, they travelled to Hogsmeade so Hermione could have a look at her bookshop. She tensed as they approached her boarded-up shop. Hermione remembered a man from the Ministry kept visiting her cursed-self to get her to sign the papers to sell the place, but she could never do it. _I love this place too much, and I'm glad that Severus never sold it.  
_  
Hermione looked at the shop opposite hers. "Do you mind if I go and say hello to Vincent?" She moved towards the deserted shop and Severus' eyes widened. "Vincent," She knocked on the door, when no reply came, she moved to the dusty window. "Oh…"

"Hermione," Severus walked over and placed his hand on her back. She turned to look at him with a frown.

"What is it?"

"The man who owned this place died," There was no way he could sugar coat it for her, and his heart ached at the broken look on her face.

"Died? H-How?"

"Hermione, I'm sorry...he tried to tell me something was wrong, but Lucius had him killed," He explained. "They took him into custody after he kept showing up at the gates of Hogwarts. Lucius' pet Auror murdered him, but it looked like suicide so no one questioned it."

She wiped away her stray tears then nodded her head. "OK, I guess...well…" She sighed. "Let's have a look inside the bookshop."

Hermione moved past him, and he unlocked the door for her. They stepped inside the dusty shop, and she glanced around sadly. He saw many emotions cross her face, and he hoped that they would be able to fix this place soon; she needed something to keep herself busy.

"It's just how I left it," She walked over to the front desk and curled her lip at the sight of the mouldy teacup.

Severus came to her side for moral support, and she smiled at him. Her eyes landed on a far bookshelf, and she disappeared behind it, then returned with the scarf she had been knitting for him.

"I was making this for you," She sniffled. "You kept complaining about the cold, so I thought it would be a nice present."

"You and I both know I wouldn't have worn it," Hermione burst out laughing then placed it on the front desk.

"I have something else to give you," She reached underneath the desk and retrieved a small box with a bow on. He eyed her carefully as she took the lid off and pulled out a corny Muggle mug. Severus remembered from one of their previous arguments that she had mentioned buying it for him as a way to reveal her pregnancy. "I suppose you can still have it."

"This mug is the only corny present you're allowed to buy me —the next thing you know, I'll be telling dad jokes and wearing jumpers you've knitted," They both laughed, then Hermione leaned over the counter and kissed him.

"I think you'd look rather good in one of my jumpers," She whispered, and he rolled his eyes.

...

"Mummy look what James did to my stone!" He pounced on them before they could get out of the fireplace properly. "It has our names on it, so I gotta' keep it!" Hermione took the stone from him and saw both of their names—-well it was useless lines that didn't say anything—but the joyous look on her son's face made her chuckle.

"Do you want me to look after it until we get home?" She asked, and he nodded his head. "Did you have fun?"

"Yes I did," He raced off to rejoin James.

Harry and Draco approached them, and they made their way into the kitchen. The table was set for dinner, and the food suddenly appeared. Hermione gnawed on her bottom lip; she didn't want to argue anymore, but her frustration always came out that way. _Hopefully, Severus will be able to keep me calm.  
_  
"Dinner's ready," Harry called out to the boys, and they ran into the room. James and Erik sat next to each other, and Hermione took her seat next to Severus.

"Where's Ron and Sam?"

"Right here sweetcheeks," Sam sauntered into the kitchen and Hermione heard Severus grumble something under his breath. "It's a pleasure to meet you," He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it, Severus immediately batted his hand away with a glare.

"I believe I have you to thank for everything," She said, and he sat down next to her.

"Dear, don't bother with your thanks. I'll always be around to help out my dark horse," He winked at Severus which made Hermione laugh. "He's a keeper."

"What's a dark horse Daddy?" Erik asked.

"Don't listen to anything he says, son."

"OK," Erik covered his ears to block out the sound of Sam's voice. Hermione hit Severus' arm gently, then told Erik to lower his hands.

They settled into comfortable chatter and ate dinner. Sam wowed her with his dramatic stories, but when he mentioned the brothel he visited, she had to scold him because Erik and James started asking questions about it.

Ron and Harry tried to include her in every conversation, and she replied eagerly. Everything moved along smoothly, then it was time for Sam to leave. He tried to kiss Severus' cheek before he left, but the tip of a wand soon jabbed his side, and he left quickly. Draco offered to watch over the boys while they talked for a while.

"Did you get everything you needed?" Harry asked.

"Yes. We've got plans to decorate the spare bedroom for Erik, so he can sleep in his own room," Hermione took the cup of tea Severus offered her. "Also, we went to my bookshop to see what condition it was in."

"And is everything well?" Ron shifted uncomfortably.

Hermione knew this conversation would be difficult to get through, especially with Severus glaring at them every time they spoke. She sipped her tea and hoped for the best.

"It will have to be decorated again before I can think about re-opening," She said. "Thank you again for watching over Erik."

"He's a polite boy," Harry smiled. "You can tell that he's your son."

"I should hope so," She grinned back at him, then Ron scratched the side of his head. "I'd like it if you came around for dinner on Erik's birthday."

"Yes!" Harry exclaimed, then nudged Ron's side. "We'll be there."

"Good."

An awkward silence fell, and after a few minutes past Severus grumbled and got to his feet. "This has been the most tedious conversation I've witnessed in my lifetime. Will you either hug, so we can go home, or reschedule this for another time."

Hermione rolled her eyes at his impatience, but she was thankful for his forwardness. Harry and Ron walked around the table and embraced her. They hugged for a while, and they would've stayed that way longer had Severus not pulled her away and ushered her from the room.

"I'll see you again soon," Hermione said over Severus' shoulder. "I have to go put Severus to bed before he gets even more grumpy."

"Shut it, woman," He muttered with a smirk.

Hermione picked Erik up, and they made their way home. Erik chatted with them about everything he did, and they listened intently until he talked himself to sleep. They lay him in the middle of their bed and returned downstairs to relax in front of the fire.


	26. Chapter 26

_**AN:/ Sorry for the wait again! Good news is that I've finished writing the rest of the story so the updates will now be consistent - not long left!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 26: Erik's Birthday.**

Hermione wiped the flour from her cheek then crouched down to put the cake tin in the oven. Minerva stood nearby decorating some home-made biscuits, and Erik sat on the counter trying to stick his face into the leftover mixture.

"How are things between you and Severus?" Minerva asked.

She knew it was an innocent question, and she welcomed it. Minerva had come over to say 'hello' after getting the all clear from Severus. Hermione had received an endless amount of apologies from her. Thankfully, the stage of wanting her friends to beg on their knees for her forgiveness had passed.

Minerva had come to tell Severus that Dumbledore expected him to return to Hogwarts after Christmas; it gave them enough time to create a solid family unit, and Hermione knew that things would be fine by Christmas. _I'm confident that we're moving in the right direction._

Plenty of time had past, and she felt much better on the inside and out. Severus had stopped giving her those horrific potions, but she still had to take his specially made one to stop her tremors. _Things have improved between Severus and me; we haven't argued since the first time I tried to reconcile with Harry and Ron._

"Things are good," Hermione stood up straight and moved to grab the dirty cake bowl. Erik whined, so she let him continue to mess his clothes up with the mixture. "I'm looking forward to sharing a bed together," She whispered, and they both smiled at an oblivious Erik.

 _Severus is upstairs finishing off Erik's new bedroom._ At five o'clock this morning an overly excited Erik awoke them. He wished to open his presents straight away. He received some more Lego, and they picked him up some colouring books as he had started to take an interest in drawing pictures.

 _I should've got him a bowl of cake mixture for his birthday._ "Sweetie, don't get it in your hair," She pressed her finger to his forehead and pushed it out of the bowl.

"It tastes nice," He licked his fingers with a giggle.

"Don't eat too much, you don't want to get a tummy ache on your birthday," She took the bowl away from him, then replaced it with his new colouring book and crayons.

"Will you stay for dinner?" Hermione asked.

"I'm afraid I cannot. Albus has a long list of things he needs me to do," She explained. "He also sends his regards."

Hermione wondered a lot about Dumbledore. She vaguely remembered the interview she had with him while under the curse. He seemed to know something was wrong from the beginning. It bugged her that he hadn't told Severus his suspicions to begin with, yet, she knew Albus wasn't one to throw around a theory without proof.

"Tell him I said thank you," Hermione replied and Minerva finished off the biscuits.

"I should get going. I'll see you soon, goodbye Erik."

"Bye," He didn't look up from his colouring book and they both chuckled. Hermione led her over to the fireplace in the other room, then rushed back after Minerva left. "Can I have some sweets now Mummy?"

"Only one," She opened up a bag of strawberry laces and pulled one out for him. He started to suck the flavour off, then ate it like a long piece of spaghetti.

They were having a peculiar dinner for his birthday. Hermione wished for him to try some new treats, so she was serving a variety of Muggle and Wizarding sweets, and home bakes for him to experience. _He seems taken with the Muggle sweets.  
_  
"What's daddy doing in that room?" He asked.

"It's a surprise," She replied and started to move the decorated biscuits onto a plate. "You'll get to see it later on. Have you enjoyed your birthday so far?"

He nodded his head. "Will all my birthdays be like this?"

"For as long as you like. We'll do anything you want to on your birthday," He wiggled excitedly then returned to his colouring. Hermione saw some cake mixture on his face and started to wipe it away with a cloth, he squirmed beneath her touch then she kissed his head.

"Hello?" Hermione turned around to see Harry, Draco and James standing in the doorway. Erik squealed in delight, and she helped him get down from the counter, so he could run over and meet James.

"Look what I got!" He exclaimed and started to show James his colouring book.

"Can I colour?" James glanced up at Draco who smiled back and nodded. The pair dropped to the floor and started to rummage through Erik's crayon box and decide who could colour which picture.

"Hello Hermione," Harry walked over, and she welcomed the kiss he placed on her cheek. Draco gave her a little wave, and she gestured for them to sit down.

"James, do you want to give Erik his present?" Draco asked and James stumbled to his feet to retrieve the small bag from Draco's hand.

"I got you this," James rejoined Erik and held out the silver bag.

"Can I open it, Mummy?" He turned to look at Hermione with an excited smile. She nodded her head and stepped closer to see what James had got him. "Glitter!"

"It's black like your hair," James giggled and the boys soon focused on their colouring again.

"Something smells nice," Harry said.

"We're having a very unhealthy dinner," She started to make them some tea and felt a sense of triumph when she managed to float the tray over to them without feeling any pain.

"Sounds delightful," Draco muttered. "Ronald will love it."

"Erik will also love his present," Harry snickered.

"What's so good about it?" She asked and Harry gave her a serious look, then realisation flooded her face. "Oh, please tell me he hasn't—"

"Hermione?" Ron walked into the room holding a present wrapped in red paper. "Hello!"

"Hi Ron," She gave him a quick hug, then stared at the present.

"Erik, this is for you," Ron held it out for him and Erik beamed up at him then took the present. He tore open the wrapping paper and Hermione couldn't stop the smirk from growing on her face; it widened when Severus decided to walk into the room.

"How's everything going—why in Merlin's name is my son holding a jumper knitted by Molly Weasley?!" Severus curled his lip in disgust, and they all stared down at the awfully coloured, oversized Weasley jumper that had the letter 'E' sewn in the middle.

"Ouch, Mummy it itches!" Erik scratched his arms and Severus took it off him.

"What?" Ron's voice went high-pitched. "It's not that bad."

"Take it," Severus held it out to him. "Or I burn it," Hermione swiped it from him with a smile and put it on the kitchen counter.

Soon after, they sat around the table in the kitchen talking amongst themselves. Erik was busy lecturing James on the correct way to eat ice cream, and he emphasised greatly on how one should eat ice cream to avoid getting brain freeze. Severus' hand rested on her leg beneath the table and Hermione leaned against his right arm.

She couldn't think of anything more perfect than this; she was finally surrounded by the people she loved, and everyone got along perfectly. Hermione wasn't naïve enough to think that it would be this way all the time, but she was happy that they were all together to celebrate Erik's birthday.

Hermione enjoyed listening to Harry's stories about James, and she hoped that Erik would stay friends with him. _They get along perfectly_. As far as she knew, James didn't have anyone else to play with other than Erik which meant they would both benefit from being around one another.

Their unhealthy dinner came to an end and James and Erik started to run around screaming from all the sweets. Ron seemed satisfied with all of it while Draco turned up his nose at the unwelcome stomach ache.

"Is everything ready?" Hermione whispered to Severus.

"Yes," She could see that he was nervous.

"I bet you've done an amazing job Severus...he'll love it," Severus smiled at her kind words, and he pressed a kiss to the side of her head. She was truly excited that they would finally get to share a bed together again, but also worried as well.

 _We haven't been alone that way in such a long time...what if things are different? Awkward?_

"Is it time for Erik's surprise now?" James asked more excited than her son.

"I believe so," Hermione said and Erik raced over.

"Can I see it now?" He pulled on Severus' leg and Hermione giggled when she saw the smitten look on his face.

"Let's go upstairs then," They all huddled together and walked up the stairs. James and Erik ran ahead stumbling over one another to get to the door. Both stopped at the closed door and waited for everyone to catch up. Severus pushed it open and revealed the decorated room.

Hermione's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the green theme. A warmth spread across her chest, and she bit her bottom lip to contain her laughter. She wasn't going to take offence to his choice of colour nor the plush snake that rested on the small bed.

Erik and James raced over to the toy box and started to pull everything out to investigate. Harry scoffed behind her while Draco smirked proudly at the sight of his house colours.

"Your son will make a fine Slytherin," Draco said.

"You can't just force him to like your house!" Ron wailed and barged into the room to have a better look. "He is Hermione's son as well, so he has a chance of being a Gryffindor."

"I like it," Hermione added. "It's cute."

Severus curled his lip at her comment, but there was a tinge of pink to his cheeks. "I don't care what house he gets put in."

"You did a good job," Hermione kissed his cheek then wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned against his side. "I told you he would love it."

James and Erik were oblivious to the adult conversation and continued to rummage through the toys and explore the new room. It would be a perfect place for the both of them to go wild with their ideas and teach one another about friendship.

"Thank you, Mummy and Daddy," Erik walked over and smiled up at them. "I like this present the most."

"You're welcome, son."

"Do I get to sleep in my bed like a big boy?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, and Mummy and Daddy will be sleeping just across the hall."

"And Daddy will protect Mummy because I can't do that if I'm sleeping here."

Severus' back straightened and Hermione saw the proud look on his face. He nodded back at Erik who smiled then returned to playing with James.

"Do you think James will ever be as sweet as Erik?" Harry asked Draco.

"No. Our son would exchange our lives for a jar of glitter," His monotone reply made them all laugh.

Later that night, after Erik was asleep, Hermione found herself slowly getting ready for bed and cautiously glancing over at the dreaded piece of furniture. Severus sat back against the headboard reading a book, and she finished brushing her hair and got under the covers next to him. She gnawed on her bottom lip then started to fiddle with the quilt.

"Are you OK?" He asked.

"I'm fine...it's just a bit weird being alone again," She admitted. "I've got used to having Erik with me."

Severus closed his book and placed it on the bedside table. "I'm sure he'll find his way back here occasionally."

She smiled gratefully. "Thank you for giving him the best birthday."

"I'd say we both put in the same effort," He hid his wand underneath his pillow and lay down. Hermione moved closer to look down at him. Severus seemed surprised by her advancement, but he soon reached up to tuck her hair behind her ears, and she lowered herself down to place a kiss on his lips.

It ended quickly—just like they all had recently—and she smiled, then lay down next to him. Hermione closed her eyes to get some sleep, and when she was close to falling off into a deep slumber, she felt Severus press a kiss to her forehead to bid her goodnight.


	27. Chapter 27

_Chapter 27: Sentenced._

The cold winter approached during the week that passed, but it didn't stop Erik from exploring the garden. Hermione pulled her coat tighter around her body and watched him play on the grass. Severus was inside sorting out his old laboratory, he said that he needed to get it cleared up as a backup plan.

Hermione hoped that he didn't want to give up teaching. She knew that he secretly enjoyed it after Voldemort disappeared from his life. She'd support him no matter what he chose, but she didn't want him to abandon teaching because he thought it would make their lives much easier.

Erik had settled into his new bedroom, and he was yet to venture into their room at night. He still woke them up every morning no matter what embarrassing position they were in. Both of them had returned to their old sleeping habits which usually involved her draped across him and covering his face with her hair.

Hermione smiled, then grabbed her cup of tea. She felt like they were dating all over again, warm feelings stirred in her stomach whenever he was around. _I suppose it would be exciting to start again, hypothetically speaking though._ Hermione knew there was no need to go back over the awkward fumblings of a new relationship.

 _Maybe things will fall back into place after we reach that critical point._ Nothing had happened beyond kissing, and even those were tender and brief. Hermione guessed that Severus was waiting for her to make the first move; he second guesses himself too much, so she may have to initiate things.

"That bastard!" Severus yelled from inside.

Hermione got to her feet and headed towards the back door, but Severus stormed out with Draco behind him. She reached out to him, but he forced the newspaper into her hand.

 _ **Lucius Malfoy and Rufus Hunderford sentenced to life in Azkaban.**_

She shook her head and scanned over the words underneath the title. Every last detail was there about what Lucius had done to her. The things they'd made her do under the curse. Information about Severus and Erik, questions on whether Severus was his real father.

"I can't believe this!" She crumpled up the newspaper and threw it onto the grass. "Why were they allowed a private trial? Where the hell was my invite to watch them prosecute him?!"

"It seems my father had enough money to pay for a private trial. They both confessed to their crimes hoping it would shorten their time, but it didn't work," Draco explained. "At least it's over now."

"That's not a good thing!" Hermione snapped. "They c-can't just…" Her voice broke and she turned away from them. Severus put his hand on her waist, and she turned into his open arms.

"He's right," Severus whispered. "It's over."

"I wanted to see the look on his face...I wanted him to know that he hadn't won," She said into his chest and his arms tightened around her. They stayed that way for a while, then moved over to the rusty garden furniture.

"My mother's coming home," Draco said. "She thinks it's safe for her to return now that my father is going away for the rest of his life."

"Does she even know you have a son?" Severus asked.

"I've not told her personally, but there was one article written about it; she might not have seen it since she's been out of the country," Hermione floated a cup of tea over to Draco.

She could now perform basic spells without causing herself harm, so she liked to use them at irrelevant times just to check she could still do it. Severus smiled, and she grabbed his hand under the table.

"Does Lucius' fortune go to you?" Hermione relaxed into the chair and looked over at an oblivious Erik. He continued to play with his toys on the grass and jump whenever an insect landed on them.

"Yes," Draco said. "I'm going to offer the Manor to my mother. Harry and I agreed a long time ago that we wouldn't want to live there; as much as I hate Grimmauld Place, it's more suitable for James."

They talked for a while about Draco's new fortune then they moved inside when it started to rain. Draco left with a request from Erik to bring James next time, and he left with a smile. Hermione started to prepare lunch while Erik followed Severus down into his laboratory.

...

Severus pulled her to his side and tightened his hold on Erik. They walked down the cold path that led them through a dark part of Knockturn Alley, keeping their eyes alert for any sign of danger. Hermione knew that they were doing a dangerous thing, but they needed to face another part of their lost years together.

 _The man who sold Lucius the curse is back from his 'holiday'_. They spotted the rotten sign hanging from the damp wall and approached it cautiously. Erik slept in Severus' arms, and she smiled at the slither of drool coming from his mouth.

"Are you sure about this?" Severus turned to her with a grim look on his face.

"Positive," She laced her fingers through his and pushed open the door. The bell chimed above them signalling to the decrepit man behind the counter that he had customers. His eyes scanned them, and Hermione saw the moment he recognised who they were.

News outlets had asked to interview her; she refused them, but it didn't stop them from printing her face all over the papers.

"What can I do for you?" They walked past the colourful jars that contained glowing magic and Hermione let go of Severus' hand to approach the old man.

"Do you know who I am?" She asked and he nodded. "Are you a bad person?"

"Define bad," He said. Severus stiffened behind her, and she grabbed the edge of his coat to keep him in place.

"You didn't have to make a curse like that for Lucius," Hermione tried to suss the man out, but his tense face and shoulders told her she was dealing with a brick wall.

"Some of us have to make a living somehow."

"You little shit-"

Hermione placed herself in front of Severus to stop him from throttling the man. "I may not agree with it, but I understand why you did...just tell me you haven't sold anything like that to anyone else?"

"I haven't," He sighed. "Your situation was unusual to begin with, so I highly doubt that a wizard will be coming along anytime soon requesting a similar curse."

"Promise me you won't make a curse like that again," She leaned over the counter. "Please."

"I can't promise you-"

"Either promise or enjoy the friendly walls of Azkaban for the rest of your life," Severus growled. "I don't wish to be here, but she wishes to give you a chance to explain yourself."

He stared at her for a few seconds then nodded. "I promise."

"Thank you," Hermione smiled, and looked around the shop. "We'll be going now."

Severus grabbed her hand and pulled her from the damp shop. They turned to head back out of Knockturn Alley when Hermione heard familiar voices, she nodded down the path, and they followed the noise to a sign that read _Brothel._

"OK, let's go before Erik wakes up," Hermione's cheeks flushed pink and Severus chuckled.

"Dark Horse!" A hearty Sam turned around to greet them and Hermione's eyes widened at the sight of Neville and Luna.

What the bloody hell are they doing here?

"Wow, Hermione what a weird place to bump into you—Oh Professor Snape!" Luna grinned as they approached. Severus seemed reluctant to go and his grip tightened on her hand. "Is this Mr Erik? Ron tells me a lot about him."

 _Ron? Since when did Ron spend time with Luna? Perhaps I have missed a lot_.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked seriously.

"We visited the cursed artefacts shops to talk to the owner," Hermione explained.

"Did you get the answers you require?"

"Yes," Severus said. "We shall be going now-"

"Can I ask what you two are doing here? This is the last place I'd expect to see you two," Hermione glanced at Luna and Neville.

"I-I know Sam, and Luna came along so we could catch up," Neville blushed and Hermione's mouth almost fell open at the way he glanced at Sam. _What the heck have I been missing?_ She looked up at Severus to see he was staring back at her, begging to leave.

"It was lovely to see you again," Hermione said. "We should catch up soon, maybe at a place that isn't dark and cold?"

"I would love to!" Luna chirped. "It was nice seeing you. Bye!"

Hermione waved goodbye and Severus dragged her away from the brothel before Sam and Neville could bid them farewell.

...

The ceiling had entertained Hermione for the past few hours, she lay in bed with Severus sleeping by her side thinking herself around in circles. She tried to focus on Severus' snoring, but it didn't lull her to sleep like it used it.

 _I'm a terrible person, she thought as she curled up into a ball._

Her bottom lip started to shake, and she burst into tears. Her loud sobs awoke Severus, and he quickly pushed her shoulders down onto the mattress so he could look down at her. He seemed to think she had suffered another nightmare, so he started to wipe away her tears.

"I'm a bad person," Hermione reached out and wrapped her arms around him. He held her tightly and stroked his hand down her back.

"What makes you think that?" He whispered into her ear.

"The whole time we were at Knockturn Alley I didn't once think about the women Hunderford made me kill," She nuzzled her nose against his neck and hiccuped when her breathing became unstable. "I-I didn't even spare them a thought, Severus!"

"You're not a bad person," He said and moved away to look at her. Severus cupped her cheeks and wiped the wetness away with his thumbs. "What Hunderford did was cruel; he is to blame for their deaths, not you."

"But I still killed them."

"Didn't you tell me that I wasn't responsible for the people I killed under the Dark Lord's order."

"Yes."

"It's the same thing, Hermione. I know the feeling is hard to shake, but I promise you that you're not at fault for not thinking about them," He pressed a kiss to her forehead then they lay back down.

Severus held her close and she wrapped herself around him. Hermione cried silently for a while until the dark cloud fled from above her, and she moved to put some space between her and Severus so he could get some sleep.

"Hermione," His voice was rough. "When...it doesn't matter," He finished with a sigh.

"What is it?" She leaned over him and stared into his eyes.

"Forget it, you should get some sleep."

"OK," Hermione pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, and instead of retreating like she normally did, she stopped to take in his reaction. There was a sense of longing in his eyes, and she knew straight away what he had tried to say earlier. Nothing ever happened beyond a gentle kiss. _Maybe he wants to make a move, but he's worried about how I'd react._

Hermione kissed him again then looked up at him through her lashes to gorge his reaction to her. The caution hadn't left his eyes, but when she moved to change her position over him, she found herself on her back with a wary Severus hovering over her.

She smiled up at him for reassurance, and he lowered his mouth to hers. Their lips moved perfectly together; basking in the taste of one another. His tongue met hers, stirring up familiar feelings in her stomach. She curled her fingers around his covered chest pulling him closer just as he cupped her cheek. His hand trailed down her body leaving goosebumps behind and creating a tightness around her heart.

"M-Mummy…" They pulled apart at the sound of the door opening. Severus moved away from her and turned to look at a teary-eyed Erik who had no idea what his parents had been doing. He clung to the plush snake Severus had got for him, and he dragged a green blanket behind him. "I had a s-scary dream, Daddy."

Erik raced across the room, climbed onto the bed and threw himself into Severus' waiting arms. He bundled him against his chest and lay him down in the middle of the bed. Hermione leaned down to kiss his head, and she dried his eyes.

"Can I sleep here?" He asked.

"Of course sweetie," She whispered and Severus kissed her before they settled down to get some sleep.


	28. Chapter 28

_Chapter 28: Ready._

They stood before the familiar doors of Malfoy Manor with a sense of dread. Hermione's grip stopped the blood from flowing to the tips of Severus' fingers, but he didn't mind, he could see the scared look on her face.

Narcissa had invited them around to the Manor for some tea and a chat, she wished to reconcile with old friends — in this case, Severus — and apologise for Lucius' ways. Hermione had refused the invite at first, but Severus pointed out that they should go ahead and visit her, so they could put it behind them. They'd bickered about it for a few days until Severus got her to see he was right, and now here they were.

"We can leave whenever you want," He reminded her, and she nodded.

"I know, we can do this...I can do this," Erik glanced up at them with confused eyes.

"Can we go inside now? James is gonna be there?"

"Let's go and see," Hermione said as Severus knocked on the door. They heard voices inside, then the dark door opened to reveal an aged Narcissa.

"Severus!" Arms wrapped around him in an uncomfortable hug. Hermione refused to let go of his hand even when Narcissa moved to hug her. Draco stood behind her with Harry, and she could hear James and Ron in the sitting room. "Come on in!"

They walked inside and Erik ran over to James who was sat in front of the fireplace playing with toy cars. He smiled at Erik, and they started to play a new game together. Hermione saw the worried look on Draco's face and wondered how he felt about his mother returning so suddenly. She didn't think Narcissa had an ulterior motive, but there was the one question of why she freely abandoned Draco when things went bad.

They sat down on the sofa and Ron muttered a greeting to them. She glanced at him curiously, _should I ask him about Luna?_ They weren't a pair she'd put together, yet, now that she thought about it, they suited each other. _Perhaps I'm wrong.  
_  
"Tea?" Narcissa asked and Hermione took the cup she offered.

"Thank you," She didn't like that she needed to let go of Severus' hand to drink her hot beverage, so she settled for resting against his side. He gave her an odd look then kissed her head.

"We might as well get the awkward things out of the way first," Narcissa said. "I cannot apologise enough for what Lucius has done to you and your family."

Hermione saw that Severus wasn't too keen on her apology; none of them expected one from her, and certainly not for Lucius' actions.

"We've moved past it Narcissa," Severus said. "We aren't here to listen to your apologies; all we want is to move the repairing process along. By coming here we're putting things behind us."

"I understand," She sat by Draco and smiled. "I never would've imagined you with a son, Severus. He looks exactly like you."

Small talk followed, and all the while, Hermione kept herself close to Severus. They left Malfoy Manor an hour later, Severus vowed they would never return, and she agreed with him. Nonetheless, they were both proud that they managed to be in there, together.

...

"OK. You sit there," Hermione lifted Erik up onto the front desk. "I found a nice picture book for you to look at," She opened it up, and he gripped it tight.

"Thank you, Mummy."

They were at the bookshop sorting things out for after Christmas. _I shall be reopening when Severus returns to Hogwarts._ She glanced over at him to see he was holding the scarf she had been knitting for him.

"I'll get around to making you a new one," She walked over to him with a smile.

"You don't have to make me anything-"

"Shall we get started?" Hermione took the scarf from him and put it back on the table. He nodded at her, and they started to move the dusty books from the shelves to clean them.

They worked around one another, and she smiled at the normality of it all. Erik babbled over the picture book and he stopped occasionally to ask what the picture showed. Severus helped her with any heavy lifting, and he got to work on moving the bookshelves around and cleaning the cobwebs from them.

"Do you want to return to Hogwarts?" She asked suddenly, and he turned to her.

"I…" He trailed off not knowing how to express his feelings. Hermione already knew what caused him conflict, and she understood why he felt that way.

"I won't think any less of you if you return to Hogwarts. Albus already said that Erik and I can stay in your quarters whenever we please and that you can always come back home at the end of the school day," She wiped the sweat from her forehead. "But, if you still don't feel like it then please don't force yourself. I want you to be happy."

"I am happy," He said, and she smiled in return. "However, I don't wish to return until things are OK between us."

"Everything's fine, Severus...unless-"

"I meant that I've missed out on a lot in both of your lives," He glanced at Erik. "I don't want to miss even more by returning to Hogwarts."

Hermione walked over to him and reached up to stroke the side of his face. "Severus, you will be around from now onwards; there's nothing you will miss. I'd like to say that we're back to normal, the only difference is that we have a child together. I know that you love teaching, so I don't expect you to give that up, I never have. We will make this work, I promise."

Severus pulled her against him and wrapped his arms around her. She felt him exhale into her hair as if a heavy weight had flown from his shoulders.

"AHHHHH!" Erik screeched, and they whirled around to see him banging the book on the counter. They raced over, and he lept into Hermione's arms, clinging on tight.

Severus started to laugh when he lifted up the book and saw a squashed spider beneath.

"Oh, sweetie it's just a spider," She shook him gently, but he refused to move his face away from her neck.

"Don't like it," He whimpered against her skin.

"How about you help us clean up?" He nodded his head, and they got to work on finishing the cleaning.

...

Hermione sat down on the sofa with a sigh. Erik was finally asleep in his room, which meant they had the evening to themselves. Severus lounged next to her reading a potions book, so she decided to relax by his side.

After an hour of silence, she found herself leaning against him while he mindlessly ran his fingers through her hair. They both skimmed through the pages of his book, and Hermione would occasionally fling the page back when he read too fast.

She started to move her hand up and down his chest, tracing a lazy pattern with no objective. There were times when Severus stiffened beneath and it didn't take her long to figure out why. She pulled away, and he closed his book to regard her with confused eyes.

"Severus, I'm ready," She whispered and his brow furrowed. "I have been for a while now, but I didn't know how to put it into words. The only way I'm ever going to get my point across is to be blunt with you."

"Ready?" His eyes roamed over her face, then they widened slightly. "Oh…"

Hermione moved closer and pressed a kiss to his lips. He immediately held on tight to her waist and reached up to cup the side of her face. Hermione moaned into his mouth then straddled his lap and shifted herself into a comfortable angle.

It was as if they were picking up from where they'd been so many years ago. She didn't need to suddenly feel ravished now that they were back together, all she wanted was him. There was no need for him to feel like it had to be like their first time all over again.

They kissed one another for a while until Severus moved to stand up. She squeaked in surprise and latched onto him.

"As much as I appreciate being carried," She giggled. "You know you're going to have to tiptoe past Erik's room."

Severus chuckled deeply, and he successfully made his way upstairs and into their room. The door shut behind them quietly, and he returned his lips to hers once more.

Severus put her down on the bed and returned to kissing her neck. She closed her eyes in anticipation, and he captured her mouth in a heated kiss. They kissed lazily for a while, moving their bodies together until Hermione couldn't bear the fluttering in her stomach.

She hooked her leg around his waist and flipped him onto his back. It startled him for a few seconds, but she masked it with a kiss. Hermione moved her hands down his buttoned shirt and popped them open one-by-one. She recalled the many times his array of buttons frustrated her up until the point that it made Severus laugh seeing her all flustered.

Severus made her lose concentration when he pulled her closer to graze his teeth along her neck. Her immediate response was to gasp and a satisfied Severus smirked against her tender skin.

When his body became exposed, she moved to kiss his chest, but he urged her dress up her body and tossed it to the floor. It didn't leave a lot between them and Hermione blushed from the look in his eyes. He moved her onto her back and kissed a path down her front.

He made quick work of removing her bra and the cold air hardened her nipples. Severus showed affection towards her breasts, and he left her a blushing mess as he moved down her body and hooked his fingers around her unattractive underwear.

The rest of Severus' clothes followed thanks to a nifty wandless spell, and she smiled sheepishly at the sight of his alert cock. They had all the time in the world for the small sexual pleasures, but right now, it was clear that they both needed something quick.

Hermione spread her legs for him and his hard length pushed against her opening. Severus ran his fingers across her swollen clit, rubbing it in tight circles; his other hand squeezed her breast, rolling her hardened nipple between two fingers. Hermione held on tight to the bedding beneath her.

He thrust his hips forward and she grumbled in frustration. "Severus...please..."

Severus pressed a gentle kiss to her lips then pushed inside of her. She reached up to bury her fingers in his hair, and he started to move. They embraced each thrust which built up the aching need within them.

"Faster..." She groaned, and the sound of their husky moans bounced off the walls. Hermione cried out when her orgasm took control of her, she gripped onto his hair and arched against him.

A few thrusts later, Severus spilt himself inside of her, grunting her name by her ear. They lay on top of the quilt for a moment, then they slid into a comfortable position beneath. Hermione rested her head on his bare chest and drew small circles with her finger.

"I love you," She whispered.

"I love you too."


	29. Chapter 29

_Chapter 29: Wedding._

"WAKE UP!" Hermione's eyes flew open, and she sat up in bed startled. Erik bounced on the mattress clinging onto his snake; he grinned at her alertness, then roughly jumped on Severus who awoke with a winded grunt. "It's Christmas! Can we open the presents now!"

Hermione pulled him off Severus who rubbed the sore spot on his chest. She chuckled at Erik's excitement then caught sight of the clock on the wall. _Six o'clock in the morning_.

"Mummy, everyone's up now, so we can open all the presents, play with them, and have Christmas dinner," He started to wiggle on her lap and Severus narrowed his eyes at him.

"It's six o'clock in the morning son! Come back in two hours," He turned away from them both with a huff and Erik's bottom lip started to quiver.

"D-Daddy, I'm just excited to 'ave presents," Hermione saw him stiffen beneath the quilt; he turned back around to see Erik's sad face, and she laughed some more when Severus cracked under his watery eyes.

"Fine."

"Yay!" His face lit up without a trace of tears, and he jumped down from the bed. "Come on!" Erik fled the room leaving them both to look at one another.

"We've got many more years of this," She said with a yawn, and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Merry Christmas," He pulled her against him and pressed a firm kiss to her lips.

 _This is our first Christmas as a family_. As a couple, they'd had many peaceful Christmases that consisted of waking up whenever and lounging about all day. _However, the day is very different with a child involved.  
_  
 _Hopefully, it will stop when he gets older._

They got out of bed and slipped on their dressing gowns. Severus went into the kitchen to make them some tea while Hermione lit the fire and watched Erik fidget in front of the Christmas tree. _He looks ready to burst._

He kept looking around for Severus, and he squealed with delight when he walked into the room. "Can I open them now?!" He bounced on his knees and Hermione nodded.

Erik dived into the presents and started to rip open anything that had his name on while tossing the others to the side. Hermione relaxed on the sofa next to Severus and sipped her tea. They observed Erik closely, and he didn't stop to read the labels. Hermione didn't correct him on it as she could see he was overwhelmed by everything around him.

He received a bunch of toys, more colouring and picture books. Harry and Draco got him a black cloak which Severus scoffed at, but Hermione laughed at how much Erik looked like Severus when he put it on. James had written his own Christmas card for Erik; it was obvious that one of his fathers had helped him out, yet Erik placed it carefully on top of his pile of presents.

After a while of grinning over his new toys, he finally took notice of the few left behind, and he brought them over so she could help him read the labels.

"Whose is this?" He asked, and Hermione nodded her head in Severus' direction. "Oh, daddy, this one is yours. Open it!" Erik sat down on his lap and held up the present.

"Thank you," He removed the green wrapping paper to reveal a knitted scarf.

Severus smiled and looked over at Hermione. "I know you get cold, so I thought I should finally finish making one for you," He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you, Hermione."

"What did you get Mummy?" Erik beamed up at him, excited to see what he could have possibly got his mother.

"That's a present for after you go to bed-"

"Severus!" Hermione blushed and hit his arm lightly.

"What does that mean?" Erik stared at them.

"It doesn't matter son," Severus said. "Do you want to collect the other presents?"

Erik ran back over to the tree, and they opened the rest as a family. They received a variety of festive treats and biscuits which Erik couldn't wait to try for the first time. After a while, Hermione moved onto the floor and helped set up Erik's wooden train track. Severus moved into the kitchen to start preparing the vegetables for later on.

Hermione couldn't wipe the smile from her face as Erik giggled in her lap when she charmed the train to move on its own. _This is perfect. Everything is as it should be._ Her happiness glowed on her skin, and she kept missing the times Severus would stand in the doorway smiling at them.

Christmas always had the desired effect of lifting any mood. They were now at peace as a family, and it didn't matter that the new year was approaching. _I will return to the bookshop and Severus will be at Hogwarts. He'll come back here every weekend since he will no longer be head of Slytherin, and on the weekdays, Erik and I will stay in his quarters in the evening.  
_  
 _It may get a little hectic at times, but things will work out for us._

The day progressed quickly, and they enjoyed a warm meal and snacks by the fire. Erik loved everything and by six o'clock he had passed out on Severus' shoulder wearing a flimsy crown from a Christmas cracker. Severus put him to bed while Hermione cleaned up the mess under the tree.

She awaited his return as she knew he had something planned up his sleeve. Over the years of them being together, she could identify the mannerisms that pointed out he was hiding something. They hadn't said anything about getting one another presents since this Christmas was to be about Erik and him being spoilt rotten.

Hermione got to her feet and stretched just as Severus walked into the room.

"Tea?" He flashed her a small smile and she nodded.

They soon found peace once more in front of the fire, and Hermione draped her legs over his lap while he rested a hand on her thigh and sipped his drink. She stared at him in an attempt to figure out what was rushing through his mind; he kept moving beneath her, but not in discomfort.

"Are you all right?" She asked, and he turned to look at her.

"I'm perfectly well," His sigh afterward didn't do well to convince her. She placed her mug on the side table then reached up to stroke the side of his face.

"Tell me," She whispered and his jaw tightened beneath her touch.

"How would you feel about marrying me again?"

The one thing she could never accuse him of was being too vague. _Straight to the point as always.  
_  
Hermione bit her bottom lip and dropped her hands into her lap. "I would like that very much."

"Good."

They fell into an awkward silence, then Hermione started to giggle uncontrollably. Severus grumbled in response, and she soon wrapped herself around him. He started to smile eventually, his nerves left his body, and he responded by kissing her gently.

...

Hermione straightened out the front of her white dress and sighed. Her hands trembled as they moved, and she couldn't look away from her reflection. Harry and Ron stood behind her, both of them cringing at the sight of her tears.

"'Mione, please don't cry," Harry placed his hand on her back.

"This is the happiest day of your life," Ron rubbed the back of his neck.

"I am happy," She sniffled and wiped her tears away.

"You weren't this bad the first time you got married," Harry held out a whiskey glass for her. "Firewhiskey helped last time so drink this."

"I'm not making that mistake again," Hermione laughed and walked closer to the mirror to clean her face.

 _Today is Valentine's Day_. The day held terrible memories for them both, which is why they wished to replace it with something good. _Right now, Severus is standing in a meadow with the rest of our wedding party and Erik.  
_  
She was nervous but elated at the same time. Things would be officially settled after today, and she would have her husband back by wizarding law. Hermione felt more excited about getting married a second time, butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the thought of seeing Severus and Erik waiting for her at the end of the aisle.

"Are you ready to go?" Ron asked and she turned to them both.

"I am."

They disapparated together and reappeared at the treeline which led to the meadow. She could hear the harp charmed to play a light melody, and the buzz of voices made her smile. Everyone is there. _Those I have forgiven, a friend I gained along the way, and old ones who are now more prominent in my life.  
_  
Ron and Harry linked their arms through hers, and they started to walk over. The talk came to a halt, and only the harp could be heard. Erik and James stood next to one another in matching white suits. He whined out a quiet "Mummy," then James' hand covered his mouth.

Severus turned to look at her with a small smile on his face. She hadn't expected him to show too much of a reaction, but the slight sparkle of his eyes made her heart beat faster.

Minerva and Dumbledore sat at the front with Neville, Sam, and Luna on their left. Draco sat the closest to James so he could easily pull him onto his lap after he'd given Hermione Severus' ring.

They reached the end of the petal trail, and she took Severus' outstretched hand. Ron and Harry moved to sit by Draco, and James waved at his dad in excitement. Severus' grip tightened around her hands, and she beamed up at him.

There was a chill in the air since the February day was overcast, but it didn't matter to any of them. The Minister got on with the ceremony, and Hermione kept zoning him out and losing track of where he was in the passage. She couldn't take her eyes off Severus, he stared back at her with a passive look, but occasionally he would smile and make her heart beat just that little bit faster.

Soon after, James raced over and held up Severus' ring for her to take. She thanked him with a smile, and he went to Draco and sat on his lap. Hermione repeated the bonding words and slipped the gold band onto his finger.

Next, it was Erik's turn. He held up the ring for Severus to take — Hermione had discovered early this morning that he'd chosen the ring for her — then wrapped his arm around Severus' leg with a smile.

Severus slipped the gold band onto her finger which supported the weight of a small amethyst. She ruffled Erik's hair, and he squeaked in response. "Thank you for the ring sweetie."

"That's OK, Mummy," His grip tightened on Severus' leg, and she returned to gazing up at him.

The ceremony came to an end and Severus kissed her tenderly on the lips while the small group clapped. Erik was quick to separate them and immediately wanted to be picked up by Severus.

He smiled at them both. "Can we have food now?"


	30. Chapter 30

**_AN:/ Please try to ignore my poor (brief) attempt at describing the tiny snippet of labour :D_**

* * *

 _Epilogue [ 1/3 ]: Seven and a Half Years Later._

Severus let his hair fall in front of his face as he observed his son in his Hogwarts uniform. Erik stood on the table with a defiant look on his face while Hermione did her best to make some adjustments. A smile grew on his face as Erik began to tell his mother how she should sew the trimming of his clothes — she regarded him with a similar smirk to Severus'.

"Sweetie, if you could keep still then I can get this done quicker," Hermione tried her best not to let her large stomach hit the table, but it was proving to be too troublesome. She was hoping to get the task done quickly because her feet were swollen and it hurt to stand for long periods of time. Also, there had been a constant pain in her lower back since this morning.

They had finally settled into Spinner's End after spending time living in Severus' private quarters at Hogwarts. They'd decided on a specific routine which meant they regularly visited Hogwarts. Severus came home most nights but kept the floo open between their house and his quarters in case something came up.

Hermione no longer worked at her bookshop. They sold it a couple of years back as she wanted to stay at home to school Erik so he's prepared for Hogwarts. He knew more than any wizard or witch he'd be joining with, especially James.

 _Those two are a force to be reckoned with_. They could get along like a house on fire, then a few moments later, Severus would be pulling his son away from James' squirming body while Harry yelled at them to stop. Severus had already informed Minerva and Albus that they would need to be watched at Hogwarts — he couldn't really do much when it came to discipline, regardless of his son's actions, he was still his son and he'd be on his side no matter what.

Erik was over the moon that his father would be teaching him potions at Hogwarts. Severus was not. They'd not long discovered that their son's potions ability resembled Neville Longbottom's. Hermione wished she'd taken a photo of the look on Severus' face the first time he'd made a cauldron explode, then the second time, and the third. It had brought Hermione to hysterics, and he'd scolded her later on.

"Mother, are you almost done?" Erik's bored tone was similar to Severus' and Hermione chuckled deeply.

It was a new thing he seemed to be trying out, apparently, he was getting too old to call her Mummy; he'd skipped calling her mum and went straight for mother, but he seemed fine with calling Severus, dad. They'd raised a rather peculiar boy.

"Be patient," Severus took a sip of his tea. "Your mother's doing her best."

"It's not hard to sew, I've read how you do it many times-"

"Son, I will happily attach the baby weight your mother is carrying so you can walk around and see what it's like. If you still think it's an easy task then you can complain all you like and call her a dramatic."

Hermione looked over her shoulder with thankful eyes. Their son wasn't a snob or thought he was better than everyone else; he was just socially inept. Even though he fought with James, he was still his only friend. He didn't pick up signs of when to stop. He once called Harry a specky dunderhead after he thought he'd left the room. Hermione had apologised profusely, scolded Erik, then hit Severus' arm for saying that in front of him.

It turned out that she'd actually said it to Severus and not realised Erik had walked into the room.

"Is James coming over-"

"I'm right here!" They turned to see James standing there with both his parents behind him. None of them had heard the floo activate but smiled at the sight of James in his Hogwarts uniform.

"You look stupid," Erik turned up his nose and James glared at him.

"I look better than you."

"You both look fine-" Erik cut Harry off by jumping down from the table and chasing after James. They listened for a few seconds and heard numerous doors being slammed as James frantically tried to hide from him.

"Afternoon Hermione," Harry chuckled and kissed her cheek.

"How did the school shopping go?" She asked.

"James had a lot to say about everything we picked out for him; nothing we chose was cool enough for him to have," He explained and Draco walked over to Severus to talk.

"You look ready to burst," He glanced down at her stomach.

"I still have a month to go; I can't catch a break without Severus breathing down my neck-"

"Is that a complaint I hear?" Severus spoke from behind her, and she turned to smile at him.

"Of course not dear," She chirped, and he scowled at her.

"Sit down," He muttered.

"Honestly, I'm fine Severus," Her words didn't ease his concern, and he pulled out a chair for her to sit on. She lowered herself down then smiled at him. "Thank you."

"In two weeks time, they'll be at Hogwarts," Harry sighed. "I can't believe it."

"I feel old," Hermione said and Severus scoffed as he sat next to her.

"Old?" He retorted, and she rested her arm on his shoulder and played with his hair.

"We've only found one grey hair so you're not too old yet," She smirked, and he quickly batted her hands away.

"Insufferable chit," Hermione leaned against his side, and he moved his arm to rest on the back of her chair.

"Are you worried about what house Erik will be put in?" Harry asked and Draco narrowed his eyes.

"We've talked about this Harry; it doesn't matter what house James gets put in," Draco explained with a grumble. "I'm just glad that our son won't have to go through what we did."

Severus and Hermione talked frequently about what house Erik would be placed in. Surprisingly, Severus didn't wish for him to end up in Slytherin, but it seemed that was where he was heading. Hermione saw the resemblance of Severus in Erik; it was obvious to those that knew James that he was a Gryffindor. _Will it be just like Severus and Lily being separated by the housing system?_

"You've gone red," Severus whispered and his hand touched her face. "Are you feeling OK?"

"It's just a hot flush," She smirked at his mothering attitude.

"Do you want some water to cool you down?" He quickly thrust a glass into her hand without waiting for a response, and she thanked him with a nod.

"Shall we get going?" Draco asked.

Severus was going out shopping with Draco and Harry for a couple of hours. He had a long list of things he needed to get and she wasn't allowed to come along because he would be choosing her birthday present.

 _I'm surprised he's leaving me on my own._

"Yes," Severus grunted and kissed her flushed cheek. "Are you sure you're feeling all right; I don't mind staying-"

"Severus," She grabbed his hand. "You organised this outing so you have to go. I'll contact you if I start feeling unwell."

"Fine," He kissed her one more time then left with the other two.

Hermione got to her feet and a wave of dizziness crashed over her. She grabbed onto the table for support and waited for it to pass. After a short while, she dawdled out of the kitchen and headed upstairs.

The boys have gone awfully quiet. She placed a hand on her stomach and gripped onto the banister to make it up the stairs. The pain in her lower back increased, but she breathed through the pain and continued up the stairs.

Erik's bedroom door was open, but she couldn't see any sign of them, so she moved towards her and Severus' room but it was empty.

"Erik," She called out while looking around the room. An immense pain stirred in her stomach. "James?" She furrowed her brows in confusion. "Erik, sweetie?"

"BOOOOOOOO!" Hermione's scream shook the house and Erik and James fell out the wardrobe laughing.

"Fuck!" Hermione screeched and latched onto the dresser for support. The boys stopped laughing to stare wide-eyed at the wetness trickling down Hermione's legs.

 _I'm not full-term yet_. She was only a week away from being classed as that, but the worry settled on her shoulders and her eyes widened in panic.

"Mum?" Erik slowly approached her and the tension in her shoulders loosened a little at the sound of him calling her Mum instead of Mother.

"Erm..." She gritted her teeth as a stabbing pain hit her cervix. "S-Sweetie, can you go and fetch my wand from the kitchen."

"The baby-"

"She's fine, I just need you to go and get it-"

"I'll go," James ran out of the room just as Hermione whimpered from the pain.

Why was it happening so fast? Erik's birth had been painfully slow, this was too quick. Had she been in labour all day or had her water broke early? She knew cases like that were rare, but it was possible.

"Are they contractions?" Erik asked and Hermione stared at him oddly. "I've read some books on pregnancy. We have to count how far apart they are."

"Could you help me to the bed?" He held out his hand, and she used the dresser to help herself back onto her feet. They made it onto the bed when another contraction hit her. She gripped on tight to the quilt and tried her best not to alarm Erik.

"You have to see how much you have dilated-"

"Sweetie," She reached up a shaking hand to touch his face. "I a-appreciate your smartness on most occasions, but right now isn't one of them."

"O-OK," He stammered. "Does it hurt Mum?"

Hermione smiled then another contraction hit her, and she hissed through gritted teeth.

"James!" Erik screamed in panic, and James raced into the room with her wand. She quickly cast her Patronus, and they watched the silver otter flee to find Severus.

Hermione started to rock on her hands and knees while Erik and James stared at her in mild mortification, and worry.

"I can't believe we-"

"Shut up James," She heard Erik hiss, and they both continued to stare.

"Erik will you get the brown bag from under the bed," They both dived underneath to reach it and put it on the mattress beside her.

"Mum, I'm sorry for scaring you," Erik whispered.

"Don't w-worry," She panted. "It will be a fun story to tell her when she grows u-up."

"What are you going to call her-"

The boys jumped in surprise when Severus apparated into the room. He stumbled on his feet but soon regained his footing and raced over to the bed.

"I knew I shouldn't have left you alone—you complain about my excessive worrying but now look what has happened-"

"Severus! St Mungo's, now!" Hermione clung to him as he grabbed the bag and helped her stand up. Draco and Harry appeared with a pop in the doorway.

"Can you watch over Erik?" Severus asked in a hurry, and Harry nodded his head.

He whisked Hermione away, and they soon ended up in the maternity ward of St Mungo's. The whole affair happened rather quickly. Severus received plenty of hits to the arm and a badly bruised hand, but it all became worth it when their baby daughter came into the world.

…

"You definitely look like you're going to be sick," Ron teased and Draco turned to glare at him.

"Leave him alone Ronald!" Harry exclaimed as they stood at Platform 9¾ watching the children board the train.

Hermione cradled Patricia in her arms while Severus crouched in front of Erik and whispered to him. They'd given him a set of rules to follow carefully since Severus would be teaching while he went there, and it would be indecent of him to show favoritism towards his son.

 _However, I will bet money on him doing so secretly._

James bounced in excitement in front of Harry—Hermione had to agree that Draco looked ready to be sick at the thought of his son going off to Hogwarts.

"What's that in your pocket?" Severus stopped whispering and Hermione narrowed her eyes a little. Erik pulled out a white sock from his pocket and smiled.

"Uncle Sam gave it to me. He said I should attach it to the end of my bed when the curtains are closed so people know I want some alone time."

"Give me that!" Severus swiped it away and Hermione hid her laugh by kissing Patricia's tiny forehead.

Sam had appeared frequently throughout the years if only ever to annoy Severus or teach Erik a dirty innuendo to anger Severus. He travelled the world now with a certain Longbottom not far behind him. Hermione thought it was cute that the two of them seemed to like each other enough to go around the world together.

"Ah! Dad—no stop—it's embarrassing!" James frantically tried to move away from Harry as he hugged him tight and kissed him repeatedly. Erik took one look at the expression on his mother's face and backed away before she could do the same.

"At least let me hug you, sweetie," She refused to ever stop calling him that, and she would have to be one of those annoying parents that called her child that endearment until he was old and grey.

Hermione lowered down to her knees and Erik quickly wrapped his arms around her neck. "Love you, Mum," He muttered into her ear.

"I love you too," Tears stung her eyes, and he kissed Patricia's forehead.

"Don't cry," He whined and Hermione got to her feet and wiped her tears away.

"I'm not," She ruffled his hair and Severus wrapped his arm around her waist. "You should get going."

James leaped away from Harry's smothering arms and grabbed Erik's wrist. "Let's go!"

They gathered around to watch the boys get on the train, and they waved them off as it left the platform. Hermione gnawed on her bottom lip and snuggled Patricia some more.

"You'll see him again soon," Severus whispered, and she smiled up at him.

"I know."


	31. Chapter 31

_Epilogue [2 / 3]: Six Years Later._

"Go faster! You're not going fast enough!" Patricia squealed and Hermione poked her head out of the kitchen to see a grumbling Erik walking towards her with his little sister wrapped around his leg.

"Patty, leave your brother alone," Hermione wiped her fingers on the towel whilst she walked over to them.

She glanced up at her brooding son and saw his eyes were void of emotion and his face passive. Her chest felt tight and she swallowed the lump in her throat.

This past year has been an ordeal for them all. Hermione and Severus were unsure about what happened, but something had occurred at school that sent Erik into a whirlwind of depression.

They'd both tried to help him out but any reassurance received a snapped insult or a death glare. Hermione backed down instantly, whereas Severus responded with a look just as fierce. It broke Hermione's heart when she had to break up fights between them and it had got to the point where things started to get physical—not on Severus' part, he would never raise a hand to his child. Erik didn't hold back when it came to launching himself at him, but Severus was too quick with his wand hand.

It was hard to look at him sometimes because all she saw was her little boy running around the garden making buzzing noises, or crying over brain freeze. Something had changed and she could only hope that he would open up about it. Harry had tried to get James to get through to him, but the millisecond he stepped foot into the house, Erik was on top of him and the boys had started to fight. Severus was growing tired of having to separate his son from altercations, and it was slowing chipping away at Hermione's patience.

When he was little, she'd assumed that Erik would grow up to be like her; he was still bright and witty, but he had his father's short-temper. Yet she has never seen Severus as angry as Erik before.

The only thing that gave her a flicker of hope was the way Erik responded to Patricia. He still acted passive and broody, but he never raised his voice when she was around. Nor did he snap at her when she climbed all over him— _like she is doing now._

"One of these days, Patty, your brother will fling you across the room," Hermione smirked down at her brown-headed daughter who looked up at Erik with a giggle.

"Do it! I wanna fly!" Erik started to raise up the leg she was attached to causing Patricia to cry out and tighten her hold on him. "No! I don't like it!"

Hermione almost squeaked in surprise at the slight smirk on Erik's lips. He brought his foot back down onto the floor.

"Patty, why don't you go and annoy your father-"

"I heard that!" Severus yelled through the open door that led down to his private lab.

"I have to do what mummy says!" Patricia raced away laughing and stomped down the stairs. Hermione listened closely then a massive smile grew on her face.

"Patricia Snape you put that jar down right now—don't ignore me! Put it down-" A loud crash followed. "You insolent child—No, don't make that face I'm not going to fall for it this time...stop it...it doesn't matter I can fix it...I didn't mean to shout...will you smile?"

Hermione beamed up at Erik and he shook his head at the absurd situation then walked into the kitchen. She followed behind him and he sat down at the table.

"I'm making beef and vegetable casserole for dinner," She offered as conversation and returned to the stove.

"Sounds nice," He muttered and she glanced over her shoulder to see he was flicking through the pages of a book.

"What are you reading?" She asked.

"100 Ways to Get Your Parents to Leave You Alone," Hermione's back straightened abruptly. She slammed the wooden spoon onto the counter and whirled around to face him.

"I've had enough of this!" She snapped. "How can you expect us to treat you like an adult when you act like a child?! You're going into your last year at Hogwarts so it's about time you grow up!"

Erik's jaw tightened but he didn't look away from his book.

"Your father and I are not trying to be mean, we care about you, is that a crime? When you grow up and have children you'll understand how heartbreaking it is to watch your own flesh and blood go around like the bloody walking dead! Erik, what happened?"

His book shut with a thud and he got to his feet. The moment he reached the door she flicked her wrist and threw up some wards. Erik spun around to glare at her and she equalled his stare.

"What happened?" She spoke firmly. "I understand that you may not feel comfortable talking about your emotions, but please remember that I'm married to your father—I know exactly what I'm dealing with; I know that something has happened."

"You don't know anything!" He shouted and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Try me."

"You wouldn't understand!" His body started to shake with anger and he hurled the book at the wall.

"Oh please, you sound pathetic," She turned away from him and she could feel his wounded eyes on her. "I'm your mother, Erik, you can tell me anything. Your father and I love you dearly, but this is starting to become too much. I hate seeing you this way and your dad is losing his mind having to deal with your anger."

"He doesn't care-"

"Don't even finish that sentence," Her voice was void of emotion. "Your father has done a lot of ill things in his life, but he has never not loved you. It tore him up inside when he realised he'd missed almost four years of your life."

Hermione heard the chair scrape back, and Erik slumped down into the seat.

They never talked much about that part of their past, Erik never mentioned it which led them to assume he'd forgotten about it.

"Erik, I birthed you with the help of Rima while Lucius Malfoy laughed outside the door. I did everything I could to stop him from harming you; those tremors I have are from numerous rounds of the cruciatus curse. I let him do it so he wouldn't hurt you."

"Why don't you ever talk about it?" He asked flatly.

"Do you remember much?"

"Nothing really, I've heard stories from the professors at Hogwarts...I even tried to ask dad but he refused to answer me..." Hermione finally turned back around to look at him.

"That sounds about right, your father detests talking about it with me," She explained. "He is not being rude or cruel, he just hates that time of our lives because everything went wrong very fast."

"People only ever tell me that you survived the killing curse," He mumbled then quickly glanced her way. "But they never expand on it."

"Lucius Malfoy was a sadistic man and Rufus Hunderford a menacing twit. Both of them together were a force to be reckoned with, but it was Lucius that scared me. He did it all because he was jealous of your father, jealous that he got to live his life after the war, jealous that he was happy, married, and loved."

"The curse was rather complex and we still don't know its full effects to this day, but I suffer from ill health occasionally. The night your dad came to rescue me, Lucius told me that I was to throw myself in front of Severus and take the killing curse. The dark magic was controlling me and I had no choice but to obey my master."

"I did as I was told, but thankfully I'd been fighting the whole time. You were slung over Rufus' shoulder as he was trying to run off with you, your father was attempting to negotiate with him to hand you over. I came out and the magic slowly started to leave my body through my wedding ring. The moment the curse hit me, all the magic fled my body and collided with it. I fell into your father's arms and he believed me to be dead. However, I'd fallen into a dream and I kept hearing your cries and the sobs coming from my husband; in that moment I was dead to him. I was dead to you and everyone else."

"Fortunately, I survived and we finally got to leave the manor. You finally got to try ice cream and run around freely; I stopped locking the doors just so you would feel like you could go anywhere you pleased, I didn't want you to feel trapped ever again..."

Hermione observed him and saw the sadness in his eyes. "Sweetie, I love you, please don't ever think that I won't understand your feelings."

Erik cleared his throat. "I'm...I'm gay, Mum."

Hermione recoiled instantly. "And you thought we'd judge you for that?" The words tasted bitter on her tongue and she wanted to hit him with a book.

How could he ever think they'd judge him? Or not understand? Hermione simmered down then a realisation struck her. It was obvious that the problem was stemming from school which only meant one thing.

"Who...who did you tell?" She asked and her heart shattered when he flinched.

"James..." His deep voice hitched in the back of his throat. "We drifted apart in our second year, but it was bound to happen because I'm a Slytherin and he's a Gryffindor. He still acknowledged me sometimes if he wasn't surrounded by his new friends, but he left me on my own...after he promised that he wouldn't. I know that we argued a lot when we were younger, but I really thought he meant it."

"When I started my sixth year, I'd already come to the realisation that I found...males attractive," His face exploded with sadness. "I just wanted someone to talk to and in a moment of weakness I went to James because I assumed he'd be more understanding since he has two dads, and...well, I kind of..." He buried his face in his hands.

"You like him," Hermione added with a sad smile.

"Yes," He croaked, then crossed his arms on the table and buried his head in the gap so he didn't have to look at her. "I told him that I was gay but before I could confess to him his friends came out from a nearby passageway and started making fun of me. They threw every offensive joke they could think of at my face. I expected James to stand up for me, heck, even defend his fathers since their comments were so rude...but he did not, and he left with them."

Hermione moved her hand over to him and buried her fingers in his dark hair and massaged his scalp. He still refused to look at her.

"It made me so angry. I couldn't believe he'd handle my feelings with such disregard even though he knows how difficult it is for me to be open with people. I started plotting ways to hurt him, and every time we passed in the corridor, I had to resist the urge to hit him...then...a seventh year started showing an interest in me. I thought it was too good to be true, and to be honest, I only responded because I wanted to force out my feelings for James...then he...we...did things..."

Hermione's hand stilled and she stared at his black hair. His voice had started to waver and tears started to sting her eyes.

"After we...they were...James and his friends were waiting on the other side of the door. It turned out that they were paying the seventh year as a joke to see how quickly I would do things. They laughed and pointed at me...I remember looking at James to see nothing but mockery in his eyes—he joined in with their laughter then stopped acknowledging my existence afterwards."

"Everywhere I go there they are laughing at me, pushing me about in the corridor, whispering while watching me; one time his friends came into the library and set all my work on fire..."

"Oh, sweetie," Hermione removed her hand from his hair and Erik finally looked at her with red eyes. She pulled him into her arms and kissed the side of his head. "I'm sorry," Erik nuzzled his face into her neck then started to sob.

Hermione stroked his back and kept placing kisses on his hair, then she recognised the sound of someone flooing away. Her movements stilled and her eyes widened.

"Bloody hell!" Hermione removed the wards from the door and flung it open. Patricia blinked up at her then giggled.

"Daddy went through the flames," Erik stepped up behind her and a whine of realisation struck him.

"Crap," Hermione picked Patricia up and the three of them stumbled into the fireplace and soon arrived at Grimmauld Place.

Erik took Patricia from her and they followed the racket that was coming from the kitchen. Hermione raced into the room to find a furious Severus pinning James against the wall. Harry yelled at him to stop while Draco aimed his wand at his back.

"Hermione, what the hell is going on?" Harry asked. "Snape let him go!"

"Severus," Hermione's voice was soft as she approached the angry storm that had started to gather above Severus' head. His eyes narrowed in fury and she could see the slight shakes that rocked his body.

She understood his anger—of course she was pissed off at James—this had all happened while he'd been teaching, his son had faced bullies while Severus was only a few classrooms away; the one thing he'd strived for in life, he'd failed.

James glanced at Erik then stiffened immediately. Hermione saw something in his eyes that she couldn't explain, but pushed it to the back of her mind and stepped closer to Severus.

"Love, I know you're angry but this isn't your fight," Hermione slid her hand up his back. "Let him go."

"Will someone tell me why Severus has my son pinned to the wall?" Draco asked.

"I'm sure James can explain once Severus lets him go," Hermione said. "Darling, please release him," Her hand came to the back of his neck and he seemed to snap out of his angry daze; he turned to look at her with sadness in his eyes. "I know, Severus, I'm angry too, but let's go home and talk."

"Dad," Erik spoke up. "He's not worth it."

Severus looked over Hermione's shoulder at him, and his words made him release James, who continued to stare at a spot on the floor.

"I'm sorry about this Harry. Come and talk to me once James has explained everything," Harry reluctantly nodded his head, then Hermione grabbed Severus' hand and they left Grimmauld Place.

...

Hermione slung her leg over Severus' waist and nuzzled her face against his bare chest. The nighttime air was warm, meaning their quilt was long forgotten and replaced with a thin throw. Severus stroked his hand up and down her naked back while the other came up to massage her scalp. She sighed blissfully and placed a soft kiss on his heart.

"I should have done something-"

"Severus, you didn't know," She turned to look up at him and leaned against his front. "Please don't blame yourself for it."

He narrowed his eyes at her, and she reached up to brush her fingers against his face.

"I'm just glad that he told us now instead of later on...I'd hate for him to feel like he couldn't relax during his last year at Hogwarts."

"If I catch any of them going near him I'll make them regret their whole existence," His hold tightened around her and she smiled. Over the years, Severus seemed to have lost his touch with threats, especially with her.

Whenever he got angry at her, all she could think about was the time Patricia drew on his face with felt tips or the time she clipped bows into his hair while he'd been sleeping on the sofa.

"I have no doubt that you will, however, don't be so harsh on James," Hermione expected his angry response and she quickly forced him to lay back down before he started picking a fight with her. "Let me finish!"

"Sorry," He grumbled.

"I saw something in his eyes when he saw Erik...I think that something got misconstrued somewhere down the line. James and Erik have always got along in an odd sort of way, and it was inevitable that they'd struggle through the house rivalries and peer pressure. Maybe something happened that James took the wrong way; I've never known him to be cruel like that, never to Erik. I find it hard to believe that he would just start hating Erik for no reason, and if there is a reason, it definitely isn't because our son prefers men over women."

"Why then?" Hermione kissed Severus' jawline then sighed into his neck.

"I have no idea, hopefully, Harry can find out."

"How could he think that I do not love him?" He asked and she heard the sadness coming from his chest. "I've tried my hardest not to be like my father-"

Hermione moved quickly and straddled his waist so she could look at him properly. She cupped the sides of his face to gain his undivided attention.

"You're not your father, trust me. It's just a teenage thing, I admit that I never went through it, but some do. Erik is around us almost every day, he sees you at school and I'm never too far behind you with Patty; he spends his weekends visiting me here, and he does it all without us even asking. The rest of his peers don't see their parents as much, therefore, when they do, it's all about catching up and welcomed questions."

"Erik gets the same questions every day, and I bet it started to grate on his last nerve. I'd hate to be asked how my day went all the time, and for that day to always be miserable. He knows that you love him; it's just his way of defending his feelings, you're very much the same. You snap at anything that moves if you're having a crap day."

Severus pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. She moved back to being draped over him and they lay there in a comfortable silence.

"He could've told us earlier."

"I doubt he felt comfortable doing so. What would you have done if he'd told you during school time?" He didn't need to answer her question because they both knew exactly what would've happened. He would've hexed first and dealt with the consequences later. "Maybe if Patty was older he might've told her. Going to a sibling about things is a lot easier than talking to one's parents. He may have felt ashamed of what he'd done and the way he acted."

"I'm not letting Patty go near any boys," Severus muttered and Hermione laughed.

"What if she shows an interest in girls?"

"Then I'll tell the girl to fuck off," He replied nonchalantly.

Hermione returned to straddling his hips and kissed him gently. They were already naked beneath the thin sheet and she felt his cock start to harden beneath her.

As the years had passed, their sex life had changed drastically. They still shared moments of raw passionate love-making, but most of the time it was heartfelt and slow. Hermione didn't need to feel ravished and sore, she was quite content with leaving satisfied and giddy.

They hadn't had the trouble of interruption with Erik, but the moment Patty was born, she seemed to have a built-in radar for every time the bed springs popped.

Hermione reached between her legs and wrapped her fingers around his cock. She manoeuvred herself over him and slowly slid down. They moved their hands over one another's bodies until muffled groans bounced off the walls.

She felt herself come undone from his sweet kisses and loving pace. Severus finished inside of her then she collapsed against his chest. They breathed heavily until she shifted herself back into a comfortable position.

Severus kept looking at his hands which had been caressing her breasts a moment ago then back at her again before she could blink he had his wand in his hand and pointed it at her.

"What are you-"

"You're pregnant."

"What? I am?" Hermione glanced down at her stomach. "Really?"

Severus' eyes filled with love and admiration; he reached out to her and pulled her back against his chest.

"We're having another baby Hermione."

A blush spread out across her face. "Well, I think we better stop after this one, otherwise we'll start breeding like the Weasleys."

"I'll take you to St Mungo's tomorrow morning," He said as he returned to stroking her hair. "Erik can watch over Patricia, maybe it will cheer him up."

"I think it will take some time, but Patty is definitely the best person for him to have right now. I suppose it's because she doesn't fully understand the emotions behind everything we say, all she can see is her brother sad and I know she'll do everything to make him happy."

"Were you anything like Patricia at her age?" He asked and Hermione muffled her chuckle against his chest.

"I'm afraid not."

"I'd love to know where she gets it from...I'm just happy that one of my children has an interest in potions," Severus had taken it personally when Erik turned his nose up at potions. Even when in lessons, Erik somehow managed to mess everything up. Hermione could picture the look on Severus' face when his own son blew up his first cauldron in front of the class.

Erik was content with burying himself in the library and researching about Charms. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do after Hogwarts, but Severus had told her that Flitwick was looking to take on an apprentice in the hopes that they would take his position as Professor. Hermione hoped that Erik was asked.

A thought hit her suddenly. "Oh! Ron's coming over tomorrow; I completely forgot, maybe we should go to St Mungo's in the evening."

"I don't understand why you invite him over to our house—he brings all of the little chits with him."

Ron had finally found someone to settle down with and Hermione had been shocked to see Ron turn up with Luna Lovegood. It had been so long since she'd last saw her, and before Hermione could blink, they were pushing out little red-haired, wide-eyed children. Severus wasn't a fan of them because the moment they went near him, he seemed to turn into their favourite tree to climb.

"Even though you loathe to admit it, you like him-"

The loud banging on their front door cut her off. Severus reacted first and immediately shot to his feet to dress himself. He slid his wand up his right sleeve then slowly walked from the room. Hermione scrambled to dress herself in case it was an emergency. The floo was blocked at night times and the house was warded to deter Muggles and strangers so it couldn't be an unfamiliar face.

A sense of dread shot through her and she raced from the room tying the knot of her dressing gown. The door down the hall opened and Erik grudgingly walked out with a huff.

"Who the hell is knocking at this time in the morning?"

"I don't know sweetie," For once he didn't pull a face at her endearment. He joined her as she walked down the stairs and wandered towards the front of the house.

Severus stood with his back to them, and Hermione spotted his tight grip on the door. With a quick shuffle to the right, she saw who was standing there and she felt herself relax.

 _The Potters._

Erik stilled next to her and Hermione placed a hand on his arm. "You can go upstairs if you want-"

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Erik stormed forward.

"Watch your language, Erik!" Hermione followed after him and they joined Severus in the doorway.

"I'm sorry that it's so late," Draco said. "Apparently this couldn't wait until morning," He narrowed his angry eyes at an even angrier Harry. James was trapped in the middle of them looking worse for wear and downright exhausted.

"I don't mean to be impolite, but what in Merlin's name do you want?" Hermione asked and Harry turned his burning eyes to his son.

"Go on then," Hermione had never heard such a tone from him before. She could practically feel the tremors of anger that came from him and it almost resembled Severus when he was furious.

"Can I...talk to you, Erik?" James sighed in defeat then let his eyes trail along the floor.

"No you cannot," Severus growled then moved to slam the door in their faces. Hermione reached under his arm and placed her hand on the door.

"Let them talk," She whispered in his ear.

"This little shit is not coming in my house," He fired back and she raised a brow at him.

"Now where would we be now if I hadn't have given you a chance to explain yourself?" He immediately stiffened then stepped away from the door. "You can go and talk in the study, please don't argue because Patricia's asleep," The boys reluctantly disappeared down the hall. "Would any of you like a drink?"

...

"I haven't been in here for a long time," James said as they walked into the study. Erik narrowed his eyes venomously then took a seat in his father's armchair.

"That happens when you abandon friends," Erik muttered and he let his eyes wander over the many books that lined the walls. James flinched and sat down in the other chair.

"I didn't abandon you," He said and Erik laughed bitterly. "We drifted apart."

"You stopped trying," Erik retorted not bothering to look at him. "I know I'm not the easiest person to be around, but I never stopped trying to be your friend. When your new minions came along you quickly forgot about me-"

"We hardly saw one another!"

"You and I are in every lesson together! We take the same subjects, walk the same way between lessons, spend our free time at the war memorial and in the library! At what point did we not see each other?!"

"I don't understand why you're yelling at me?! You're the one who started this!"

"Me?! How did you manage to come to that idiotic conclusion?"

"Stop acting like you don't know what happened," James snarled and he got up from the chair.

"Listen to the drivel that is coming from your mouth; I have no idea what you're talking about, you were the one that mocked me, bullied me, laughed in my face after you and your friends tricked me!"

"It's not my fault you were quick to shag that seventh year!"

Erik flinched then shot to his feet and headed towards the door. As he reached for the handle a thought struck him.

"You almost sound jealous," He hissed with a glance over his shoulder. "How pathetic—you don't own me, therefore you cannot hold any opinion on who I choose to shag-"

"I confessed to you!" James' shout echoed around the house.

"You certainly did not!" Erik yelled back

"The Halloween Ball in our fifth year! How could you forget that?! I poured my heart out to you and you didn't even respond to me!"

Erik's eyes went comically wide and he struggled to take in enough oxygen. There was only one word running through his mind and that was 'shit'. He remembered it clearly, his mother had wanted him to attend and since she would be visiting the night of the ball, he couldn't avoid it. Then his father gave him the idea to create a duplicate of himself that would appear at the ball and leave at a designated time. It had gone smoothly as far as he was concerned. _Dad kept mum away from me and she didn't seem to notice the fake in the room_ , no one ever talked to him anyway so it was something that could easily be forgotten.

Apparently not though.

"Listen-"

"So I was jealous, OK? Is that enough for you? You even thought it would be funny to tell me you were gay, I was just waiting for you to rub it in my face that you like someone. Why would you do that? This is your fault!"

Erik sighed as he slid down the door. James watched him through blurry eyes and kept clenching his fists to an irregular beat.

"I didn't know," Erik said and before James could interrupt him he carried on. "It was a fake version of myself. My mum wanted me to go to the ball, but I didn't, so my dad gave me the idea to trick my mum. That thing you talked to wasn't me...I didn't know..."

"What do you mean?" He hissed lowly.

"I mean it wasn't me!" Erik gritted his teeth then buried his face in his hands. "My dad helped me create a double so I didn't have to go. I did it to please my mum since she wanted me there."

"Stop lying!"

"Why would I lie? Even so, just because I rejected you it doesn't give you the right to treat me the way you did!"

They glared at one another, both of them furious at themselves and each other. James eventually walked over and slid down next to him.

"I'm sorry...for everything," James whispered without looking his way. "I never enjoyed what I did; things just became a lot easier to bear when I could take out my anger on you. It was a selfish and horrible thing to do to you."

Silence settled around them and Erik's face tightened as he tried to think of something to say. He couldn't forgive him straight away, James had been the reason behind all his fights with his father, and the stress he'd put his mother through.

"I'm not saying I forgive you yet," Erik said. "I need time to think."

"I understand."

…

 _"I confessed to you!"_

Hermione's eyes widened at the sound of James' voice. Severus moved to stand up but she leapt onto his lap so he was forced to sit back down. He glared at her in annoyance and she flashed him an innocent smile.

"I just wanted a hug," She whispered.

"Of course dear," He muttered sarcastically.

"Hermione, I'm sorry for what he did," Harry said while Draco tapped his fingers on the table.

"You're not the one who needs to apologise," Severus spoke through gritted teeth. "Your son better have a perfectly good explanation for everything."

"He loves him," Draco said and they turned to stare at him with wide eyes.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"James told me during his fifth year that he fancied Erik," His neutral reply didn't help ease Severus who kept fidgeting beneath her and gripping on tight to her waist.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry looked offended and Hermione smirked to herself.

"What's so funny?" Severus whispered into her ear.

"Don't you think it's terribly obvious that they're good for one another," She said. "I'm appalled by James' actions and I hope Erik doesn't forgive him so easily, but I doubt there has ever been a time when they didn't care about each other."

"You're right," Draco nodded his head in agreement and did his best to ignore Harry's angry eyes.

They sat in a comfortable silence for ten more minutes until Erik and James walked into the kitchen looking worn out. Hermione was the first to her feet and she moved to Erik's side and kissed his cheek.

"We can go now," James said, ignoring Severus' piercing gaze.

"We've decided to talk some more in a couple of days."

Everyone said goodbye, and Severus happily slammed the door behind them. He walked over to them both and placed his hand on Erik's shoulder.

"Go and get some sleep," He said.

"OK," Erik rubbed his tired eyes. "Dad, I didn't mean what I said earlier-"

"I know," They watched him leave then when he was out of sight, Severus enveloped her in a tight hug.

"We should get to bed as well," Hermione tried to move away, but he refused to let go.

"Just give me a few seconds," His voice was deep. She recognised the sound of his unshed tears, so she nuzzled her face against his chest.


	32. Chapter 32

**_AN:/ This is the last chapter! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited and followed. It means a lot to me and I hope you enjoy the short ending to this story!_**

* * *

 _Epilogue [ 3 / 3 ] Eight Years Later:_

Hermione walked over to the mirror and stepped in front of Severus. She moved away his fumbling hands so she could take over buttoning up his waistcoat. He sighed down at her, and she flashed him a reassuring smile.

"I'm perfectly capable of dressing myself, woman."

"I know that, but this is the sixth time you've sighed in five minutes," She said while fixing the last button. "It's OK to feel apprehensive about today. Our first child is getting married, so it's a big day for us all."

"I'm not apprehensive," He muttered and Hermione pinned him with a look. He reached up to grab her hands. "I don't like him."

"Severus, that excuse may have worked many years ago, but after seeing you willingly seek him out to engage in conversation, I find that hard to believe."

"You're incredibly annoying."

"I prefer observant," She kissed his cheek, and he pulled her to his chest in a tender embrace. "We only have to wait ten more years until we're finally on our own again."

Severus chuckled into her hair, and they swayed as he held her tighter. "I'll be very old in ten years time."

She looked up at his ageing face and greying hair with a smile. Her body was worn and her own hair fading, but Severus still treated her the same way he had during the start of their relationship.

"You're handsome now and you will be ten years from now."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Their moment was ruined by Eddy running into the room with Patricia chasing him. He ran towards them and climbed up Severus' front with tears pouring from his big, brown eyes.

"He ruined my makeup!" Their fourteen-year-old daughter screeched and thrust her destroyed makeup bag into Hermione's hand.

"Ed?" Hermione said sternly, and he turned to look at her with his bottom lip shaking.

It seemed that their youngest son was in a world of his own. He could face his father head on when anger bubbled in his veins, but the moment Hermione spoke out of her normal tone, you'd think you took his favourite toy and made him watch as you burn it.

"I didn't do it!" He dramatically flopped his head into Severus' neck and cried some more.

"I saw him," Patricia pleaded and Hermione reached out to pat Eddy's head.

"Sweetie?"

He reached out to her, and she took him into her arms. She found it odd that she still had to cradle her seven and a half-year-old son, but as he was their last child, he had been babied more than the others.

"I'm sorry Patty, I didn't mean to ruin your makeup," He choked on his sob and Patricia squealed in frustration then fled the room; she missed the moment when Eddy smirked evilly to himself.

"Go and put your suit on," Hermione put him down and pointed to the item of clothing on the bed. "Will you help him, Severus?" He nodded. "I'll go and fix Patty's makeup."

…

"Mum!" Erik squirmed away from Hermione's hands as she tried to fix his hair. They were standing in the garden of Malfoy Manor under a floral arch waiting for the wedding to start. James would be walked down the aisle by Draco and Harry since he didn't wish to single one out.

The chairs were filled with familiar faces, and a considerable amount contained the Weasleys. Ron sat a row behind Severus, who looked close to snapping at Ron's youngest, four-year-old Licette. She kept pulling on his hair. Eddy whirled around and whispered something to the young girl that made her charge into Luna's arms crying.

Severus forced their son back into his chair and glared at him. Patricia squealed with excitement, startling her father out of his skin. She started waving at her best friend, Amber, who took a seat at the back with her family.

Narcissa sat on the right at the front with her partner Aaron and his eighteen-year-old daughter. Minerva and Albus—both of them now retired and living out their days in a cottage together—sat in the middle watching the wave of children scream and laugh at the littlest of things.

At the back sat Neville and Sam who had opened up their own shop in Hogsmeade containing a variety of artefacts from around the world, and foreign spells and books. Sam started cooing at Severus, and Hermione chuckled when Severus subtly stuck his middle finger up at him. Numerous children gasped and told him off.

Hermione looked up at Erik with tears in her eyes. He whined in response and hugged her quickly. "Don't cry."

"I'm just happy," She squeezed his waist. "You're all grown up."

"I love you, Mum."

"I love you too sweetie," She pinched his cheek, and he blushed.

"I've asked you to stop calling me that, it's embarrassing!" She kissed his cheek then straightened out his suit.

"You look just like your father," Hermione wiped away her fleeting tears and beamed up at him.

"Erm...Licette just threw up in Dad's hair."

"What?!" Hermione whirled around and saw a furious Severus glaring down at the young girl. She raced over to defuse the situation and cleaned him up with a nifty charm.

After that, the wedding commenced without any more hiccups. Hermione cried as she watched her son get married to James, and Severus kept his hand on her thigh, squeezing harder as it came to an end.

Later that night, Hermione and Severus relaxed in the garden together under the stars. She thought over their lives and cried some more into Severus' chest. As they moved up to bed, she cheekily asked him how he felt about having another child, which put him in a bad mood for the rest of the night. She had to struggle cuddle him into submission. He whispered a "maybe" under his breath with a smile on his face.

They fell asleep wrapped in one another's arms.


End file.
